The Odisha Government is contemplating to generate solar energy by leveraging the potential of vast water bodies available in the State, Energy Department Bishnupada Sethi said on Friday.

“Odisha has huge potential for generating solar power by using water bodies and large reservoirs like Balimela, Hirakud and Rangali,” he said, while addressing a two-day first international conference on Innovation in Electrical Power Engineering Communication and Computing Technology (IEPCCT-2019) which began at the SOA University here.

Sethi, who is also the Chairman cum Managing Director of the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC), said the country has fixed an ambitious target of generating 450 Giga Watt of renewable energy in view of the pressing need to reduce the carbon emission level. “Floating solar, as the system of generating solar energy by using water bodies is known to have immense potential,” he said.

Prof PK Nanda, SOA’s Dean (Research and Development), presided over the inaugural function which was also addressed by Prof Bhaskar Narayan Thorat, Director and Professor at the Institute of Chemical Technology, IOC Campus, Bhubaneswar and Prof Bijay Ketan Panigrahi, Professor at IIT, Delhi and General Chair of the conference.

Sethi said the Government is discussing the possibility of taking up such projects with the European Union. Such projects would eliminate the need for land acquisition and avoid displacement, he added.

Besides the water reservoirs, the Government has identified seven irrigation projects for the purpose, he said, adding that issues including the method of evacuation of power, its impact on the water body, fisheries and other related matters, however, would have to be sorted out.

He said though Odisha has 30% of the country’s coal deposit, it appeared the days of thermal power generation are limited as it is a cause of pollution.