In a first, India is starting to develop the largest renewable energy project in the world in the huge salt desert that separates it from Pakistan. With a completion date of three years, the Khavda renewable energy park is positioned to become a major global symbol of sustainable energy. The solar and wind energy project would be so large, according to the developers, that it will be visible from orbit.
Thousands of workers are hard at work at the project site near Khavda hamlet, showing the amazing scale of the effort. Installing pillars in exact positions that stretch across the desert landscape like concrete cactuses. The huge network of solar panels that will capture the region’s abundant sunshine will be supported by these pillars. Workers are building massive wind turbine foundations, moving building supplies, building substations, and running miles of cables all at the same time. When finished, the project will be larger than Singapore at 726 square kilometers, with a minimum estimated cost of $2.26 billion, according to the Indian government.
This large-scale project is in line with the current COP28 climate meeting, where world leaders are stressing the need to switch to renewable energy sources as soon as possible. Some international leaders push for a global commitment to renewable energy that is tripled while simultaneously reducing the use of fossil fuels, which are the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions.
This industrial wonder is all the more remarkable for being situated in the middle of Gujarat, western India’s Rann of Kutch, a harsh salt desert and marshes at least 70 kilometers from the closest human habitation. However, this impressive renewable energy project is located not far from one of the most unstable international borders in the world, which highlights the project’s particular difficulties and importance in relation to South Asia’s larger geopolitical setting.