The Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited, a state power generation company having total installed capacity of 5,506 MW, is exploring the possibility of installing solar power plant of about 50 MW capacity with storage facility so that generation can be made available 24 hours a day at either the Kutch Lignite Thermal Power Station or the Gandhinagar Thermal Power Station or any other suitable location within the state.
The total installed capacity of the Kutch Lignite Thermal Power Station is 290 MW while that of the coal-based Gandhinagar Thermal Power Station stands at 870 MW.
The GSECL has invited Expression of Interest by December 31st, 2013, from consultants for conducting feasibility study and preparing Detailed Project Report for the proposed solar thermal power plant. The scope of the consultancy works includes collection of data concerning solar radiation conditions and meteorological parameters, site selection for the project, land requirements and identification of technology along with estimates and cost benefit analysis, payback period for each case and detailed technical specifications of the equipment.
The basic requirements for evaluating solar thermal power projects are detailed feasibility study, technology identification and proper solar radiation resource assessment.
Solar thermal power systems, also known as Concentrating Solar Power systems, use concentrated solar radiation as a high temperature energy source to produce electricity using the thermal route.
