New Delhi, March 24 (IANS) India is transforming the vast salt flats of the Rann of Kutch into what is set to become the world’s largest single-site renewable energy project, underscoring its push towards clean energy and energy security.

Spanning over 72,000 hectares in Gujarat, the 30 GW Khavda Renewable Energy Park, also known as the Gujarat Hybrid Renewable Energy Park, is being developed as a massive solar-wind installation capable of powering nearly 18 million homes upon completion.

The scale of the project is unprecedented, combining around 20 GW of solar capacity with 10 GW of wind energy. This hybrid design is aimed at ensuring more stable power generation by pairing daytime solar output with round-the-clock wind energy.

The project is being developed by a mix of public and private players, including Adani Green Energy, NTPC, the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited, and the Gujarat Industrial Power Company Limited, with Adani Green holding the largest share of about 9.5 GW capacity.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India has been allocated a significant portion for wind-only development.

The project, which was inaugurated in 2020 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, already has over 1 GW operational, with full capacity expected to be added in phases over the coming years.

Envisioned as a key pillar of India’s target of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, the project is turning barren land into a major power hub while boosting jobs and reducing coal dependence.

However, the project also brings challenges, including harsh working conditions, intermittency of renewable energy without adequate storage, and concerns over the fragile desert ecosystem.

Despite these concerns, the Khavda project represents a major step in India’s clean energy transition, demonstrating how underutilised land can be repurposed for large-scale sustainable energy generation.

--IANS

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