REVEALED
In November 2016, India revealed the world’s largest
solar power plant. The country is slated to be the
third-biggest solar market in the world in 2017
India – the third-largest emitter of
greenhouse gases – outshines the restHere Comes the Sun
IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK
The sheer scale the new solar power facility in Kamuthi,
Tamil Nadu in southern India is astonishing. Recently
released images show a vast sea of reflective blue panels
covering an area of 10 square kilometres. This mass of
2.5 million solar units – forming the largest solar power
plant at a single site, taking the spot from the Topaz Solar
Farm in the US – has a capacity of 648 megawatts.
The plant was built in a mere eight months, constructed by
the Adani Group to a budget of USD679 million, according to
Al Jazeera. In comparison, Topaz’s construction took two years
and footed a bill of USD2.5 billion. During construction of the
Kamuthi Solar Power Project, around 8,500 men installed an
average of 11 megawatts-worth of equipment every day.
The unveiling of the solar plant could not have been
more timely, with India suffering its worst pollution in
17 years earlier the same month. The development has been
hailed as a game changer by environmental groups worldwide.
The developing country’s heavy reliance on coal is
still strong, despite big ambitions to grow their renewable
energy resources. The Indian government has assuredRight India is still heavily
reliant on coal, powered
by plants such as Kota, as
seen here from across the
Chambal River, exuding
smoke into the airAboVE An electrician checks
solar panels. The new plant
in India consists of 2.5
million solar units. It’s the
largest solar power plant
at a single site in the world