Coal India to call tender for 800 MW solar projects

Coal India, an Indian state-controlled coal mining company, has plans to launch a tender process for the development of 800 MW capacity solar projects. The total investment for the 800 MW solar projects is estimated at INR48 million (US$720 million).

Previously, the state-owned mining company already tendered 200 MW of solar projects in consultation with the Solar Energy Corporation of India.

In conjunction, both project will generate 1000 MW of solar power, which aims to reduce the country coal dependency. The power generated by the solar projects will be sold to state utilities.

Newer renewable electricity sources are targeted to grow massively in India to 2022, including a more than doubling of India's large wind power capacity and an almost 15 fold increase in solar power from April 2016 levels.

Such ambitious targets would place India amongst the top world leader's in renewable energy use and place India at the center of its International Solar Alliance project promoting the growth and development of solar power internationally to over 120 countries.