Get Instant Loan up to ₹10 Lakh!
New Delhi: The Union Territory of Ladakh will provide 20,000 acres of land at Pang to set up 10 gigawatt (GW) of renewable energy projects and will also explore availability of another 20,000 acres of land in that area.
The plan involves setting up 10 GW of large green energy capacity in the strategic region comprising of solar and wind parks and use these large battery units to store that electricity to supply to rest of the country through a transmission link.
A meeting was taken by union power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh in Leh on Monday wherein it was decided that “UT of Ladakh will receive revenue per annum on account of leasing of the land allocated for setting up of Renewable Energy project,” according to a statement from the power ministry.
Singh earlier told Mint that India will call bids for the largest global tender for setting up 13 gigawatt hour (GWh) grid-scale battery storage system in Ladakh. Large battery storages can help India’s electricity grids, given the intermittent nature of electricity from clean energy sources such as solar and wind.
“5 GW of transmission link from Pang (Leh)-Kaithal (Haryana) along with 12 GWh of Battery Energy Storage will provide 76% utilization of transmission capacity and would evacuate 13 GW of Renewable Energy Generation (9 GWp Solar + 4 GW Wind),” the statement said.
The transmission link is to be completed within five years. Mint earlier reported about the 900-km proposed strategic power transmission link from Ladakh to help supply electricity across the country. The transmission link construction is considered to be a logistical challenge, considering the region remains snow-covered for nearly six months with very low temperature and oxygen levels. It will help attract investments for setting up green energy projects in the cold desert region.
“Out of 12 GWh battery energy storage, about 1- 2 GWh will be developed as part of transmission element to keep the line charged during the period of no generation, while the remaining battery energy storage could be developed as part of generation element,” the statement said.
The project is part of India’s strategy to develop the Union territory of Ladakh. The reorganization of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union territories has given the Centre direct control over Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. The government has been planning a raft of energy projects in the region to help supply electricity to the people of Leh and Kargil districts, besides defence establishments during harsh winters.
“POWERGRID would revise their DPR for setting up of 5 GW transmission link including 2 GWh of battery energy storage and AC system strengthening in Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir to provide RE power within Ladakh and also to Jammu & Kashmir,” the statement said.
Ladakh, Thar, Rann of Kutch, Lahaul and Spiti have the potential to generate 315.7 GW of solar and wind power, and will require investments of ₹43.7 trillion over the next 30 years to 2050, according to a study conducted by the state-owned Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
Catch all the Industry News, Banking News and Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.