GUJARAT MODEL WILL NOT WORK, SAYS STATE

The Gujarat model of building solar power plants on canals is frequently cited as a good example.

One of the most famous is the solar power unit built on the Sanand branch canal of the Sardar Sarovar Project.

Building the spacehungry solar projects on canals can save vast tracts of land. Besides, it also cuts down on evaporation of water as the units cover the canals.

Energy department officials acknowledged that solar power units set up on canals produce 15 per cent more power than those set up on land.

Energy department officials said that it was not possible to set up a 1,000-MW capacity solar power project on canals.

An official said the Gujarat solar canal project’s capacity was 1 MW. Besides, the cost of setting up solar units is double that of a land-based project.

Setting up a 1,000MW solar power project on on hundreds of kilometres of canals was not possible, the official told this newspaper.