ADB OKs $434.25m loan for solar facility in Assam, India

Another $1m grant will be allocated for project implementation.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $434.25m loan to fund the Assam Solar Project,  a grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) facility in Karbi Anglong district with a capacity of 500 megawatts (MW).

According to ADB, the project will support the development of a grid-connected battery energy storage system that will be established through a joint venture between the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. Tripura Power Company Ltd.

“This project will help Assam develop a renewable energy road map and increase its solar energy capacity to achieve its target of 3,000 megawatts by 2030,”  said ADB Principal Energy Specialist Jiwan Acharya.

ADB will also help in establishing a public–private partnership agreement for an additional 250 MW solar PV facility in the Karbi Anglong district. This will improve the distribution of electricity around the facility and neighbouring areas by replacing overhead power distribution lines with aerial covered conductor cable and installing new distribution transformers.

Another $1m will also come from ADB to support project implementation, awareness-raising, and capacity building of the APDCL and surrounding communities.