435 MW Gorbea Solar Plant Commissioned, 70% Power Now Green

Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, recently inaugurated the 435 MW Gorbea Solar Power Project in Rajasthan. Developed by Zelestra, the 755 GWh annual capacity Gorbea project was completed in under eight months. It is poised to generate enough power to meet the electricity needs of 1.28 lakh homes and reduce 7.05 lakh tonnes of carbon emissions annually.

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The Gorbea Solar Project covers 1250 acres of area and is backed by a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

Innovation and Future Technology

The project uses advanced solar panels - TOPCon bifacial mono PERC modules. In addition, the facility employs over 1300 robotic cleaning units to maintain peak performance. 

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Referring to his visit to IIT Bombay, the Minister spoke about ongoing work on Perovskite Tandem Solar Cells and encouraged Zelestra and Rajasthan officials to explore pilot projects using this next-generation solar technology. 

Rajasthan Now More Renewable

With the addition of the Gorbea project, Joshi noted, nearly 70 percent of Rajasthan’s power capacity is now sourced from renewable energy. Overall, the state has over 35.4 GW of installed capacity, with about 29.5 GW coming from solar and 5.2 GW from wind. Joshi also advocated for the accelerated deployment of wind-solar hybrid projects, highlighting Rajasthan’s untapped wind potential of 284 GW.

Rajasthan has implemented the Integrated Clean Energy Policy 2024 and operationalised its Green Hydrogen Policy. In 2023, the state attracted investment commitments exceeding ₹6.57 lakh crore, with a strong focus on renewable energy and green hydrogen.

As part of the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, over 49,000 rooftop solar systems have been installed in Rajasthan, with subsidy disbursements crossing INR 325 crore. However, with 2.7 lakh applications already received, the minister called for faster execution.

Under the PM-KUSUM scheme, nearly 1.45 lakh solar pumps have been deployed in the state.

The minister also announced that India has reached its target of achieving 50 percent installed power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of the 2030 deadline.

About Zelestra 

Zelestra is a global, vertically integrated renewable energy company with a portfolio of 29 GW of carbon-free energy projects across 13 countries. In India, the company has a pipeline of 5.4 GW, with 1.7 GW already contracted. 

The firm is backed by EQT, one of the world’s major investment funds, managing more than 273 billion euros in assets. In 2024, BloombergNEF ranked Zelestra among the top ten global sellers of clean energy to corporate buyers and number two in the Europe, Middle East, and Asia region.