Gorbea Solar Project inaugurated in Rajasthan

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, on 19 July, inaugurated the 435 MW Gorbea Solar Power Project in Rajasthan. Developed by Zelestra India, the project was completed in under eight months.

Spread across 1,250 acres, the Gorbea facility is backed by a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). It is expected to generate 755 GWh of electricity annually and help avoid approximately 705,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year.

The Gorbea project includes community involvement through land leasing agreements with farmers. Over 700 local workers were employed during construction, contributing to job creation and skill development in the region. The supporting infrastructure, including a 6.5 km transmission line and an on-site substation, was built within five months.

The project uses advanced Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) bifacial mono PERC modules and over 1,300 robotic cleaning units to maintain efficiency.

Mr. Joshi also encouraged pilot testing of emerging technologies such as Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells in Rajasthan, citing research underway at IIT Bombay and the state’s strong solar resource potential.

Rajasthan currently leads among Indian states in installed renewable energy capacity. With 35.4 gigawatts (GW) of renewables, including 29.5 GW from solar and 5.2 GW from wind, the state now sources nearly 70 per cent of its total power capacity from renewable energy.