NLC India will soon be beginning work on developing India’s first ever utility scale solar plant located in Andaman and Nicobar. The islands are currently dependent on diesel for power generation, and the development of this solar facility is aimed at replacing diesel with solar energy. It will also have a battery energy storage unit.
The solar and storage facility is estimated to commission by April 2019. NLC opened auctions for the facility in May 2017, and Mahindra Susten has reportedly quoted the lowest price for the project at Rs 289 crore. Adani, Exide and Sterling & Wilson had also made bids for the same.
The 20 MW project is game changing as solar power only accounts for 1.6 per cent of the country’s total generated power. NLC had also organised auctions for four such projects in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh but it fell through on account of high costs.
