The world's largest solar plant was built in just 8 months

folarin okunola

January 18, 2017 12:28 PM

Topaz Solar Farm, which was previously the largest solar power plant in the world, took two years to build and only generates 550MW.

India has the second largest population on the planet.

The country may still largely depend on fossil fuel for most of its power needs, but it is quickly making the switch to renewable energy.

One year ago, Kamuthi, in Tamil Nadu, was just temples and greenery. Today, its brand new power plant is what people are talking about.

Kamuthi is 90 kilometres outside Madurai and is now home to the largest solar plant in the world. The plant spans a 10-kilometer area with a capacity to generate 648MW, enough to power 150,000 homes.

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Even more impressive is the fact that the plant was built in just eight months. Topaz Solar Farm, which was previously the largest solar power plant in the world, took two years to build and only generates 550MW.

The Kamuthi facility cost $679 million and came from the Adani Group.

India still relies heavily on coal for powering homes and industries but the country has slowly been making the move away from non-renewable power sources.

In late 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged to go big on renewable energy. India is looking to cut down its dependency on fossil fuels by 2030.

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folarin okunola