PR Fonroche, a joint-venture between India-based PR Clean Energy and France-based Fonroche Energie, and Mahindra EPC have commissioned a 5MW solar PV plant in Rajasthan, India with another 15MW plant nearing completion.
Both projects were awarded under the second batch of the first phase of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) programme which aims to install 20GW of PV capacity in the country by 2022.
Located in Gajner Village in Bikaner, the 5MW project was commissioned in December 2012 and officially inaugurated on 9 January. The 15MW plant is expected to be commissioned by 15 January.
When complete, the two projects will utilise a total of 270,000 thin-film PV modules supplied by First Solar. The US solar behemoth has been a popular choice among solar projects in India. The company is supplying thin-film modules to several other projects awarded under the JNNSM including Green Infra’s 25MW project and Kiran Energy Solar Power’s 30MW PV project also in Rajasthan.
Commenting on the achievement, the CEO of Fonroche, Thierry Carcel said: “Fonroche is pleased to continue its development in India through this project. It is the first major French investment in solar energy in India and is in line with our aim to develop high quality renewable generation assets in India through a range of innovative solar PV solutions such as ground-mounted farm, greenhouses, canopies and rooftops solutions.”
According to Mahindra EPC, the partnership represents the first Indo-French collaboration in the Indian renewable energy sector. Through this partnership, the company is aiming to develop a minimum of 200MW worth of projects.
Pratap Raju, Joint Managing Director at PR Fonroche commented: “We are pleased to have set up Fonroche’s first solar PV plants in India. We’re keen to employ Fonroche’s valuable expertise in building unique solar PV solutions for industrial and private consumers in India, where solar holds huge potential. Many of these solutions are answers to some of the key concerns that have been raised by observers of the industry, and we are quite excited to be pioneering these initiatives in the country. We aim to develop a minimum of 200MW projects through this partnership, and are buoyed by the success of this first project.”