India: IFC to install 5 MW pilot solar project in Gujarat state

Located in Gandhinagar, the capital of the state of Gujarat in western India, the project is believed to be the first of its kind of project in the country. It is hoped that it will eventually generate 40 megawatts of power for nearly 100,000 households in Gandhinagar, and contribute to Gujarat’s goal of installing 500 MW of solar capacity by March 2014. I
IFC’s Public-Private Partnership and Sustainable Business Advisory teams will work together to provide advice to the Gujarat Energy Research and Management Institute for the design and structuring of the public-private partnership project. Private sector responsibilities will include financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the facilities.
Following a successful pilot, the government will roll out the program to the entire city. “We are happy to have the expertise and knowledge of an institution like IFC to help Gandhinagar become a model solar-powered city,” said DJ Pandian, principal secretary, energy and petrochemicals, Gujarat government.