India : Rajasthan Concentrating Solar Power

Nonsovereign Project | 46900-014

The Project involves the construction and operation of a 100 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) generation plant near Dhursar village, Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, India.

Project Details

  • Project Officer
    Mosnier, Zsuzsanna
    Private Sector Operations Department
    Request for information
  • Country/Economy
    India
  • Modality
  • Sector
    • Energy
Project Name Rajasthan Concentrating Solar Power
Project Number 46900-014
Borrower / Company RAJASTHAN SUN TECHNIQUE ENERGY PRIV
Country / Economy India
Location
Type or Modality of Assistance
2854 Loan Ordinary capital resources USD 103.00 million Committed
Strategic Agendas Environmentally sustainable growth
Inclusive economic growth
Drivers of Change Private sector development
Sector / Subsector

Energy / Renewable energy generation - solar
Gender
Responsible ADB Department Private Sector Operations Department
Responsible ADB Division Portfolio Management Division, PSOD
Responsible ADB Officer Mosnier, Zsuzsanna
Project Sponsor(s) Reliance Power Limited
Description The Project involves the construction and operation of a 100 MW concentrating solar power (CSP) generation plant near Dhursar village, Jaisalmer district, Rajasthan, India.
Objectives and Scope The project is designed to promote sustainable economic growth by diversifying India's energy mix through the addition of renewable energy capacity. The development impact of the project also includes environmental benefits through more efficient use of indigenous renewable energy resources with very limited emission of pollutants or greenhouse gases. In addition, the building of the project helped demonstrate the feasibility of utility-scale CSP projects in India and the operational performance in a location (Rajasthan) where substantial development in solar power was planned during 2012-2017.
Status of Development Objectives

The project's development impact focuses on (i) promoting sustainable economic growth by diversifying India's energy mix through the addition of renewable energy capacity; (ii) demonstrating feasibility of utility-scale CSP generation in India and the operational performance in Rajasthan where substantial solar development was planned during 2012-2017; (iii) promoting efficient use of indigenous renewable energy resources with very limited emission of pollutants or greenhouse gases; and (iv) successfully achieving the construction and operation of India's first utility-scale private CSP plant and increase solar power generation capacity in the country by 100 MW.

However, because of the plant's continued suboptimal performance and stabilization issues, the energy output has been substantially lower than the base case scenario and other related targets such as emissions avoidances have also not been met.
Status of Operation/Construction The plant continues to face challenges in achieving expected generation outputs. Ongoing improvement works, with the help of external consulting firms, are being carried out to help the plant achieve its design capacity but have not been successful to date.
Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy The project supports two of the five core operational areas of Strategy 2020infrastructure and environment. The project is aligned with the India country partnership strategy (CPS), 2009-2012. One of the four strategy pillars of the CPS is to support inclusive and environmentally sustainable growth through continued focus on infrastructure development and enhanced focus on renewable energy.
Safeguard Categories
Environment B
Involuntary Resettlement C
Indigenous Peoples C
Summary of Environmental and Social Aspects
Environmental Aspects An initial environmental examination (IEE) report was prepared by RSTEPL to ascertain that the project does not have adverse impacts on modified, natural, or critical habitat or legally protected and internationally recognized areas because it is in a government property classified as wasteland. RSTEPL has formulated project specific environmental and social management plans (ESMPs) to mitigate and manage impacts such as Occupational and Community Health and Safety Plan, Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan, Wastewater Management Plan and Rainwater Harvesting Plan during operation stage. RSTEPL has established an environmental and social management cell at corporate and site levels and allocated budget to manage and ensure implementation of the environmental and social management plan including the environmental monitoring activities during operation stage.
Involuntary Resettlement The development and operation of the project did not lead to any involuntary resettlement impact. The area where the project is located is owned by the State Government of Rajasthan and is being leased to the borrower for a period of 30 years.
Indigenous Peoples The nearest village is about 5 km from the project site. The project site is not located in or in proximity to scheduled areas and no scheduled tribes considered as indigenous peoples as per ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement definition were impacted by the project.
Stakeholder Communication, Participation, and Consultation Numerous community-level consultations involving stakeholder representatives from different affected sectors before construction were undertaken to ensure that stakeholders' concerns about the project were sufficiently addressed. The project also has an elaborate communications and information disclosure plan to ensure that stakeholders are well informed of developments in the project at every stage. RSTEPL has also established and operationalized a grievance redress mechanism and local representatives were also involved in the process.
Timetable for assistance design, processing and implementation
Concept Clearance 21 Nov 2011
Credit Committee Meeting -
Approval 28 Mar 2012
PDS Creation Date 17 Feb 2012
Last PDS Update 09 Aug 2022

Project Data Sheets (PDS) contain summary information on the project or program. Because the PDS is a work in progress, some information may not be included in its initial version but will be added as it becomes available. Information about proposed projects is tentative and indicative.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) recognizes that transparency and accountability are essential to development effectiveness. It establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced.

The Accountability Mechanism provides a forum where people adversely affected by ADB-assisted projects can voice and seek solutions to their problems and report alleged noncompliance of ADB's operational policies and procedures.

In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of, or reference to, a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

Title Document Type Document Date
Rajasthan Concentrating Solar Power Project: Extended Annual Review Report Extended Annual Review Reports Nov 2020
Rajasthan Concentrating Solar Power Project: Project Data Sheet (हिन्दी) Translated PDS Apr 2015
Rajasthan Concentrating Solar Power Project Reports and Recommendations of the President Mar 2012
Rajasthan Concentrating Solar Power Project Initial Poverty and Social Analysis Feb 2011

Safeguard Documents See also: Safeguards
Safeguard documents provided at the time of project/facility approval may also be found in the list of linked documents provided with the Report and Recommendation of the President.

Title Document Type Document Date
Rajasthan Concentrating Solar Power Project Environmental Assessment and Measures Feb 2012

Evaluation Documents See also: Independent Evaluation

None currently available.

Related Publications

None currently available.

The Access to Information Policy (AIP) establishes the disclosure requirements for documents and information ADB produces or requires to be produced in its operations to facilitate stakeholder participation in ADB's decision-making. For more information, refer to the Safeguard Policy Statement, Operations Manual F1, and Operations Manual L3.

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