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Even as the Union Power Ministry has set targets for state-owned and private discoms to replace their 58,000 MU of thermal energy with solar power by 2025-26, the Mettur Thermal Power Station (MTPS) has invited bids for setting up a 5o0 kilowatt (kW) grid-connected ground-mounted solar plant as well as the rooftop-solar panels of 30 kW capacities. The trajectory of Power Ministry is that the states should replace 20% of 12,386 MU the thermal power with renewable energy by 2023-24, another 35% by 2024-25 and the remaining 45% by 2025-26. However, some Tangedco officials are wary of meeting the Power Ministry’s expectation as the land required for to replace thermal power with renewable energy would be huge. To set up a solar farm with 1 MW capacity, the land required is five acres. Also, setting up solar plants at thermal stations would demand better maintenance as the panels could be easily covered by the dust and ash, which would reduce the generation capacity. The panels have to be cleaned on a daily basis. However, to increase the renewable energy capacity in Tamil Nadu, the state government has been planning to set up solar parks in all districts and electricity minister V Senthilbalaji recently said that 3,673 acre government lands have been allotted for the purpose by the district collectors and studies will be undertaken soon to establish if the lands are suitable to set up solar parks. The minister said that the state government has intended to increase renewable energy capacity by 20,000 MW and announcements have already been made for projects with 6,000 MW. Also read: MAHAGENCO floats EPC tender for 2 solar projectsBGRESL to commence work on Ennore thermal power station project