Development Phases of the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

The Kamuthi Solar Project was developed in 5 phases. In the 1st phase, Ramnad Solar Power Limited (RSPL) commissioned 72 MW on 8 Feb 2016. It then became Tamil Nadu’s largest solar plant. In the 2nd phase, Adani Green Energy TN Limited (AGETL) commissioned 216 MW on 11 March 2016. It then became India's largest solar plant. In the 3rd phase, Ramnad Renewable Energy Limited (RREL) commissioned 72 MW on 31 March 2016. It then became Asia’s largest solar project. In the 4th and 5th phases, Kamuthi Solar Power Limited (KSPL) and Kamuthi Renewable Energy Limited (KREL) commissioned 216 MW and 72 MW respectively on 18 September 2016. It then became the world’s largest solar park.

Currently, however, the Bhadla and Khavda Solar Parks have a higher capacity than the Kamuthi Solar Park.

Solar Panels at Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

The Kamuthi Solar Park has a total of 25.38 lakh solar panels. The solar panels are arranged in clusters of 4 to 5 MW each. Here’s a breakdown of the number of solar panels which were used over the 5 phases: Phase 1 (AGETL): 8,29,440 Phase 2 (KSPL): 8,28,480 Phase 3 (RSPL): 2,78,440 Phase 4 (KREL): 2,76,444 Phase 5 (RREL): 3,26,048 Total: 25,38,852

Most of the solar panels are made of polycrystalline solar cells and have a fixed tilt. However, in the final phase of the solar park’s development, some variations were implemented as a pilot project.

Here are the solar technologies which were tried for a 25 MW pilot project: Bifacial solar panels: 1.25 MW Thin film solar panels: 10 MW Seasonal tilt: 5 MW Single axis tracking technology: 8.75 MW

Companies Involved at Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

Several companies contributed to the solar plant at Kamuthi. We have listed them below: Solar modules: Suntech, CSI, Trina Solar, Solar Frontier, First Solar, Megacell, Adani Mundra, Hanwah, GCL Mounting structure: Jiangsu Weir, Ganges International, Satec Envir Engineering, Arctech Inverters: Hitachi, ABB Transformers: ABB, Schneider Electric Switchyard/SCADA System: ABB HT Switchgear/RMU: Siemens Cables: KEI Cables, Apar Industries, Polycab, Sterlite Industries DC combiner boxes: Jakson Engineers, Statcon Power Cable connectors: BizLink In total, the Kamuthi Solar Park saw the use of 3,80,000 pile foundations, 30,000 tonnes of galvanised steel used for the mounting structure, 6000 km of cables, 154 transformers, and 576 inverters.

Reaching Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

The Kamuthi Solar Park is spread across 3 villages: Sengapaddai, Pudukottai, and O. Karisalkulam. Here are the nearest transportation means for reaching the solar park: Airport: The Madurai Airport is located 90 km away from the Kamuthi Solar Power Plant Road: Road connecting Porthbanur, Kamuthi, and Arruppukottai adjoins the site Port: Tuticorin port is located 110 km away Railway Station: Tiruchuli railway station in Tamil Nadu is located 25 away from the solar park.

Kamuthi’s Geographic Signifiance for Building Solar Park

According to Vneet Jaain, CEO of Adani Power, there were 3 reasons for selecting Kamuthi for building the solar park:

• Availability of vast stretches of land
• Excellent solar radiation
• Proximity to Tuticorin port

Area of Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

The Kamuthi Solar Project is read over 2500 acres, which is equivalent to the size of 950 Olympic football fields. Out of this, the solar panels occupy an area of 1270 acres, which is equivalent to the size of 476 football fields.

Number of Workers Involved at Kamuthi Solar Power Plant

When work on the plant started, about 2,500 workers were building the solar park. But then, north-eastern rain wreaked havoc on the development plans. To compensate for lost time, number of workers was increased to 8,500 workers.

Cleaning of Solar Panels at Kamuthi

One major problem at any large solar park is accumulation of dust on the solar panels. Manually cleaning the solar panels requires a lot of time and manpower. That’s why, state-of-the-art Ecoppia robots from Israel are used to clean the solar panels.

25 big robotic mops rotating at the speed of 100 revolutions per minute clean the solar panels. A solar-powered motor moves the mops up and down on a rectangular frame over the solar panels. Once one section is cleaned, the frame automatically moves sideways to clean other solar panels. 1 mop takes about 2 hours to clean a 245 m line of solar panels. These mops use soft microfibres to clean the solar panels.

Kamuthi Solar Power Plant currently powers 2,65,000 homes by transmitting power to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) via a 400 kV substation of TRANSCO. Since its commissioning, it has generated over 840 crore units of electricity. In 2020-21, it also held the distinction of turning water positive, meaning that it harvested and recycled more water than it consumed.