India to set-up world's largest solar power plant

India on Friday said it would set up the world's largest solar power plant in northwestern state of Rajasthan, which if finalised, would have the capacity to generate 4,000 megawatts of electricity. The Indian ministry of heavy industries said that the government has finalized the setting up of the "Ultra-Mega Green Solar Power Project," close to Sambhar Lake, about 75 kms from Jaipur - the capital of Rajasthan. "The total capacity of this project will be 4,000 MW and, therefore, this will be the largest solar-based power project in the world," the ministry added. The ministry said the process of setting up the solar power project would be carried out over a 23,000-acre land plot in the largest state of the country. The first phase of the project, which will be of a 1,000 MW capacity, is likely to be commissioned in three years, the ministry stated. "When the 4,000 MW of project is fully commissioned, it will generate 6,000 million units of power per annum. The project will supply power to the distribution companies of various states through the National Grid," the ministry noted. The ministry further stressed that as being the first project of this scale anywhere in the world this project is expected to set a trend for large scale solar power development in the world.