India One           

In 2011 the Brahma Kumaris and WRST initiated the design, development and installation of “India One”, a 1 MW solar thermal power plant in Abu Road, Rajasthan. This research project uses the in-house developed new 60 m² parabolic dish and features an innovative thermal storage for continuous operation.”India One” will generate heat and power for a campus of 25,000 people and be a milestone for decentralized clean power generation with storage in India.

Key features of “India One”:

• 770 nos. of 60 m² parabolic dishes & 1 MW peak electrical output
• Co-generation, efficient use of thermal energy & modular design
• Thermal storage for night operation & direct steam generation
• Networked enabled automated dual axis tracking and controls
• Motionless cavity receiver & efficient use of land

Project Partners

For “India One”, Brahma Kumaris & WRST have secured funds from:

• the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE, Govt. of India) under its research & development scheme.
• the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) via its bilateral “ComSolar” initiative through the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation (GIZ).

Team and Consultancy

Brahma Kumaris & WRST have created a local team of engineers and experts to guarantee a smooth execution of the project. The team is in close liaison with various Indian institutes and manufacturers.

In addition, the project enjoys the support and consultancy of:

• Fraunhofer Institute (ISE) of Freiburg, Germany which will simulate the plant, design the monitoring system and evaluate the performance.

IndiaCare of Berlin, a long standing partner of WRST in renewable energy projects, supports the project as well as coordinates activities with German institutes and companies.