KURNOOL: Strong gusts of wind and thunderstorm that hit the district on Sunday night had a devastating effect on the world’s largest solar project at Gani-Shakunala in Kurnool district.
The solar panels, erected by Greenko projects and Softbank, are said to have taken a huge hit and were uprooted by the winds. The extent of damage has been pegged at Rs 2 crore.
The Kurnool Solar Park is touted as the world’s largest solar park with a 1,000 MW generation capacity.
The state government showcases this park as the world's largest green energy facility with marquee investors.
Sudhakar, executive engineer at the solar park, said the intensity of the gale was so fierce that thousands of panels on the sites of Greenko and Softbank were uprooted.
The solar farm has been badly damaged, and when asked about the extent of devastation, he said separate teams sent by Greenko and Soft bank were assessing the damage.
The wind also damaged staff quarters and workers facilities. CPM leader Prabhakar Reddy said all was not well at the solar park.
Recently, a transformer exploded at the Greenko project, he said, adding that the management was not responding to the problems of the workers.
Instead Greenko was targeting media personnel, Mr Prabhakar Reddy said. When contacted, a Greenko official said a team was assessing the damage. An email sent to Greenko for more information and details has not yet been responded to.
