Gujarat tops on solar projects with $2.4 bn investment

October 6th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The government should encourage small scale solar energy projects in rural areas along with the big ticket projects if it wants to meet the ambitious target of generating 20,000 MW solar power by 2020, an industry body said Tuesday. "If the government wants to generate 20,000 MW of solar power, large scale projects alone won't do.

September 9th, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - The Gujarat government has decided to establish a department of climate change to attract more renewable energy generation projects to the state. A senior official in the chief minister's office here said Wednesday the Gujarat government has already implemented its solar and wind energy policy and will prepare a biomass energy policy now.

July 29th, 2009 KOLKATA - The US-based Astonfield Renewable Resources Limited has set its eyes on non-conventional energy generation in India by exploiting offshore wind, tidal and concentrated solar energy resources, a top company official said here Wednesday. "We're very interested to explore offshore wind, tidal energy and solar thermal to generate renewable power in India," Astonfield Management Inc co-chairman and director Sourabh Sen said.

July 22nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - As dawn broke Wednesday, the century's longest total solar eclipse began with thousands of sky gazers craning their neck skywards to catch the glimpse of the rare celestial spectacle. The sun rose eclipsed Wednesday morning at 5:28 a.m.

July 18th, 2009 NEW DELHI/AHMEDABAD - Hoping to attract around 5,000 tourists to watch the solar eclipse on July 22 in Surat district, one of the places in India where the total eclipse will be visible, the Gujarat government Saturday announced it would offer free boarding to the first 200 people registering with them. The tourists will be accommodated in the homes of local people in Surat free of charge under a scheme called 'Atithi devo bhava' (the guest is almost akin to god).

June 23rd, 2009 Solar industry to see faster than expected growthNEW YORK — The solar energy industry will grow faster than expected during the next few years as American utilities invest heavily in large-scale solar farms, analysts with Barclays Capital said Tuesday in a research note. Barclays analyst Vishal Shah noted that demand for utility-scale solar projects could eventually make up half of the U.S.

June 10th, 2009 NOIDA - A foundation backed by former US president Bill Clinton is in talks with the Gujarat and Rajasthan governments to build two 3,000 MW solar power plants, New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah said here Wednesday. "We are looking at several initiatives to increase generation from renewable sources.

May 28th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Former President APJ Abdul Kalam called for possible solutions to provide energy independence since there has been continuous depletion of fossil-material derived oil, gas and coal reserves. He was addressing the convocation of the Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University here on Wednesday.

May 12th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Gas marketing major Gail India is planning to establish a series of wind power projects in Gujarat during the current fiscal, a senior official said Tuesday. 'The company has invited bids for setting up wind power projects of 4.5 to 5 MW capacity each on a turn-key basis.

January 12th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The infrastructure development arm of a leading finance company in the infrastructure space Tuesday announced that it had signed two memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Gujarat state government to build a thermal and solar power plant. A statement from Infrastructure Development Finance Company Ltd.

January 12th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - Astonfield Renewable Resources Ltd (ARRL) will execute a mega 200 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project across Gujarat. The venture is touted as the largest renewable energy project in India.

January 12th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) Tuesday signed three memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth Rs.105 billion (Rs.10,500 crore or $2.13 billion) for its proposed projects in Gujarat. Group chairman Anil Ambani said the investments would be made for building a port jetty in Saurashtra, a power plant and three cement factories.

January 11th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - On the first day of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' Summit Monday, Chief Minister Narendra Modi held one-on-one meetings with eight delegations, including from Britain and Japan. Modi also held parleys with delegations from Mongolia, Oman, Commonwealth Business Council and Virginia Port Authority at the Science City grounds.

January 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A leading construction and infrastructure development company Monday signed deals worth $8.3 billion with the Gujarat government to develop a water front city and three pipeline projects in the state. The first memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed between the Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) and the Gujarat Infrastructure Development Board to develop a water front city at a total investment of $8 billion while the second MOU was signed with the water department of the state for developing three water pipeline projects worth $300 million.

January 10th, 2009 AHMEDABAD - The two-day fourth Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor Summit starting here Monday is likely to see a record number of investment proposals in renewable energy, particularly in the solar and wind energy segment, a senior state minister said Sunday. 'The state government has received very good response in all four major sectors with several new and key players of the industry expressing their willingness to take advantage of the benefits being offered by Gujarat as the ideal investment destination,' Energy and Petrochemicals Minister Saurabh Patel said.