Modi, Macron inaugurate UP’s biggest solar plant
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday inaugurated Uttar Pradesh’s biggest solar power plant in Mirzapur district’s Chhanvey block.
The prime minister, Uttar Pradesh governor Ram Naik and chief minister Yogi Adityanath received the French president and his wife Brigitte at the airstrip here.
The PM and the French president pressed a button to energise the solar panels and dedicated the 75 MW facility to the people.
Built at a cost of around ₹500 crore by French firm ENGIE, the plant has come up at Dadar Kalan village on the hilly terrain of the Vindhyas range. Some 1,18,600 solar panels have been set up in over 380 acres.
Power would be transmitted to Jigna sub-station of Mirzapur range of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd, officials said.
The plant will generate 15.6 crore units of electricity annually, about 1.30 crore units per month.
Addressing the founding conference
MIRZAPUR/VARANASI:
of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in New Delhi on Sunday, Modi had called for concessional financing and lessrisky funds for solar projects to raise the share of solar power in the energy basket, provide cheaper electricity and cut carbon emissions.
Modi, the chief architect of ISA that seeks to bring together 121 nations, said India will generate 175 gigawatts (GW) of electricity from renewable energy sources by 2022.
A BOATRIDE ALONG THE GANGA
Later in the afternoon, Macron enjoyed a boat ride with PM Modi on the Ganga. Macron was given a traditional welcome with showering of flower petals, a Shehnai recital and chanting of mantras before he took a decked-up boat which ferried him, Modi and Adityanath between Assi and Dashwamedh ghats.