Majithia inaugurates 4 MW solar power project at Boha
Author(s): City Air NewsLater addressing a gathering Majithia said it was a matter of pride for the state that now the companies successfully running their solar power projects in Gujarat were finding Punjab as a land of opportunities...
cityairnews
Oct 15, 2014 12:30
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Later addressing a gathering Majithia said it was a matter of pride for the state that now the companies successfully running their solar power projects in Gujarat were finding Punjab as a land of opportunities for their further expansion. He disclosed that the Punjab government has undertaken a comprehensive exercise to identify all the available panchayati and non-cultivable lands for setting up of solar power plants having joint generation capacity of 1000 MW power throughout the state as the Ministry of Union Non-Conventional & Renewable Energy, Government of India has in principle agreed for setting up of an Ultra Mega Solar Power Park. Besides this, a detailed project report for setting up of 100 MW solar power plants on all major canals flowing through the state has been submitted to the Union government. @ Boha (Mansa) in Punjab, India/Oct 15, 2014
Boha (Mansa), October 15, 2014: With the inauguration of the 4 MW Solar Power Plant at Boha today, Punjab took a giant leap towards realising its dream as the solar state of the country. Inaugurated by Bikram Singh Majithia, Non Conventional Energy Minister,Punjab the Rs. 33.75 crore solar power plant of renowned company of Gujarat M/S Madhav Solar Pvt. Ltd, Vadodra would generate 6 million units annually to meet the state government’s target of 1250 MW of solar power within three years. This facility is the first of many big steps of taken by the government to make Punjab a green and clean energy sufficient state.
Later addressing a gathering Majithia said it was a matter of pride for the state that now the companies successfully running their solar power projects in Gujarat were finding Punjab as a land of opportunities for their further expansion. He disclosed that the Punjab government has undertaken a comprehensive exercise to identify all the available panchayati and non-cultivable lands for setting up of solar power plants having joint generation capacity of 1000 MW power throughout the state as the Ministry of Union Non-Conventional & Renewable Energy, Government of India has in principle agreed for setting up of an Ultra Mega Solar Power Park. Besides this, a detailed project report for setting up of 100 MW solar power plants on all major canals flowing through the state has been submitted to the Union government.
He informed that world’s single largest roof top plant of 7.5 MW capacity has been set up in Beas at Amritsar District constructed at a cost of Rs 150 cr to Rs 200 cr. He said that in a major initiative roof top solar PV plants were being set up in 120 police stations throughout the state. He added that the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal would be inaugurating the project soon.
Majithia pointed out that Punjab has tremendous scope for generation of power from renewable energy sources like solar, biomass, co-generation, industrial and urban waste and wind power etc. But since 84 percent of state’s total land is cultivable, it was difficult to arrange bulk land required for setting up of such plants. Keeping in view the state government has decided to use Panchayati & non-cultivable lands for this purpose with the twin purpose of ensuring additional income to Panchayats as well as meeting the future power requirements of the state. He said that in coming three years Rs. 3000 crore investment and generation of thousands of job opportunities were expected in Punjab in solar power sector.
He said that our country was world’s fourth largest energy consumer and it needs energy revolution to harness country’s renewable energy sources to the maximum to promote energy security and economic development in a sustainable manner. He said that India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) recommended that country must generate 10 percent of its power from renewable resources by 2015 and 20 percent by 2020. He expressed confidence that Punjab would become torchbearer on this front.
Congratulating the management of M/S Madhav Solar Pvt. Ltd. for setting up this prestigious project five months prior to the stipulated time period, Majithia said that the Punjab government and its nodal agency Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) would facilitate every single investor in renewable energy sector by extending all possible support. He said that the Punjab government had launched 250 MW Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic Power Mission in July, 2013 when the Punjab Deputy Chief Minister had handed over approval letters for these projects. He said that this project was a humble beginning as two more such projects with 15 MW capacities each were near completion and expressed confidence that by March, 2015 all these projects would be operational.
Majithia revealed that government has launched a unique net metering policy and set a target of generation of 100 MW solar powers during the current financial year to meet the requirements of peak load demand. He said that under this policy, all PSPCL consumers would have an option to install Solar Photovoltaic plants on their rooftop or vacant spaces in the capacity range of 1 KWp to 1000 KWp covering up to 80 per cent of their sanctioned load.
Majithia informed that state government was also exploring the possibility of setting up of solar power clusters to energise agri pumps. He said that PEDA has prepared the proposal for exploring the mechanism by which agriculture power can be provided from solar PV pumps/power plants and government subsidy being paid for agriculture power can be diverted for setting up of the onetime solar PV power projects infrastructure in the State thereby saving the recurring subsidy bill on AP Power.
Prominent among others present included MP Rajya Sabha Balwinder Singh Bhunder, MLA Chatin Singh Samao, deputy commissioner Parveen Kumar Thind, Dr. Amarpal Singh, CEO PEDA, Balour Singh, Director, PEDA, Managing Director Madhav Solar Private Limited Amit Khurana and others.
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Date:
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
