By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, September 21, 2018: Hydropower generation company NHPC Ltd is likely to set up a 40-Mw solar plant in Odisha with an investment of about Rs 196 crore.

The solar power project is slated to come up on about 180 acres of land in the Ganjam district and NHPC is impressing upon the state’s bulk power purchaser, Gridco, for buying the power produced there.

The state technical committee, under the chairmanship of the secretary of the energy department is understood to have approved the proposal of NHPC.

NHPC had signed a memorandum of understanding with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) on November 30, 2015, for the development of a 250-Mw grid-connected solar power project in a time frame of five years in association with SECI.

The hydropower generator had expressed its willingness to participate in the 1,000-Mw solar power park scheme coming up in Odisha.

Incidentally last year, NHPC had evinced interest for setting up a 100-200-Mw solar project in Odisha for the supply of power to Gridco so that the latter could fulfill its renewable energy purchase obligation with assured power purchase agreement (PPA).

The state has about 175 Mw of installed capacity of solar power.