PM Modi and French President Macron inaugurate UP's largest solar power plant
On a four-day India visit, the French President Emmanuel Macron visited Varanasi where he was welcomed by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Together, the leaders inaugurated the 75 MW solar power plant built in UP’s Mirzapur.
This solar power plant is said to be the largest in Uttar Pradesh, and was established under the International Solar Alliance (ISA) programme, in collaboration with the French solar power giant Engie Solar. According to NDTV, the ISA is a treaty-based international inter-governmental alliance of 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
The goal is to promote solar energy, and ensure reduction in usage of fossil fuels in countries rich with sunlight. The solar plant was set up at a cost of nearly Rs 500 crore, and has over 1,18,600 solar panels installed in 380 acres of land. The power generated would be transmitted to Mirzapur’s Jigna sub-station of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited.
The solar power plant is located at Dadar Kalan, which is some 25 km away from Mirzapur. As per a The Times of India report, over 15.6 crore units of electricity will be generated each year, which is estimated to be 1.30 crore units a month.
The headquarter of ISA is based in Gurugram, on the outskirts of Delhi. With the sole aim to promote solar energy in the countries, the ISA headquarter was set up after the Paris Declaration.
According to The Indian Express, the first summit of ISA was conducted by India and France on March 11, 2018. The two countries have previously signed 14 agreements, which also includes the prominent MoU that will recognise the other’s educational degrees.
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