Despite the bright sunny days round the year which are considered highly ideal for success of solar power projects, Chhattisgarh is not yet on the Centre’s radar for setting up ultra mega solar power projects. As per the information available, the Centre has chosen Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and ladakh for setting up ultra mega solar power projects.
The Central Government plans to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy to more than 160 GW by 2022 including 100 GW solar energy and 60 GW wind energy across the country, officials stated. As per 2013-14 annual report of Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Chhattisgarh achieved a total commissioned capacity of 7.1000 MW from grid connected solar PV power projects as on March 31, 2014.
The total commissioned capacity of such Solar PV power projects was 4.000 MW as on March 31, 2013 in Chhattisgarh, it stated.The grid connected power projects were commissioned under Phase-I of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM). A total of 11 projects of 50.5 MW capacity under the ‘migration scheme’ and 26 projects of 140 MW capacity under Batch-I were commissioned during the year across the country.
The JNNSM is a key initiative of the Union Government and the State Governments to promote ecologically sustainable growth while addressing India’s energy security challenges. The mission is one of the several initiatives that were part of National Action Plan on Climate Change, it stated.
The JNNSM was launched on January 11, 2010 and the mission targets included- deployment of 20,000 MW of grid connected solar power by 2022, 2000 MW of off-grid solar applications including 20 million solar lights by 2022, 20 million square metre of solar thermal collector area besides creating favourable conditions for developing solar manufacturing capability in the country and to support R&D and capacity building activities to achieve grid parity by 2022. The mission is to be completed in three phases, the report stated.
For the first phase of the Mission, the Union Cabinet had approved a target to set up 1,100 MW grid connected solar plants including 100 MW capacity plants as rooftop and other small solar power plants till March 2013. In addition, a target of 200 MW capacity equivalent of off-grid solar applications and 7 million square metre solar thermal collector area were also approved during the aforesaid period.
The Union Cabinet till March 2013 had also approved setting up of a large utility scale grid power plants through bundling of solar power with the unallocated thermal power available from NTPC stations and the policy to provide generation based incentive for small grid connected solar power plants, it stated.
Incidentally, Chhattisgarh has bagged a national award as the best performing State by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Renewable Energy segment.
Chhattisgarh Principal Secretary, Energy Department Aman Kumar Singh received the award from the Prime Minister during the Renewable Energy Global Investors Meet (RE-Invest) held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Sunday. Meanwhile, Chhattisgarh ranks first in the country in terms of providing drinking water through solar powered pumps, officials here claimed.
Out of the total number of solar pumps installed in the entire country in financial year 2013-14, nearly 90 per cent of the solar pumps were installed in Chhattisgarh only, they claimed.
The Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) under its 'Hot Water Supply Scheme' has established a plant in insurgency infested Kanker district of insurgency infested Bastar region to supply 10,100 litres of hot water per day to the various Government and private establishments.
Besides, the agency has also installed a plant to supply 7,000 litres of hot water per day in Jungle Warfare Training Centre in the district.This apart, a total of 30 solar powered equipment had also been installed in the primary health centers besides solar power plants had been established in Koyalibada, Civil Hospital, Pankhajur and at Prime Health Centre, Amabeda. The solar powered equipment had helped during emergencies to operate the deep freezer and other key equipment in the health centers.
CREDA has also established a 25 Kw solar energy equipment in the Keshkal valley on Jagdalpur road about 30 km from the district headquarters which had helped street lights remaining illuminated in the six km length of the valley while preventing accidents. There are also about 13 villages in the interior parts of Kanker district which cannot receive power supply in the conventional mode which now have solar powered street lights installed in the villages. The installation of the solar powered equipment had benefitted nearly 4,000 families residing in the district.
Moreover, by installing over 1,100 solar pumps, pure and safe water supply has been made available to the inaccessible, non-electrified and tribal areas of the entire State. As they function with solar energy, water supply here is free from any kind of power hindrance.
Along with settlements, availability of clean and safe drinking water has been ensured in schools also. So far, arrangement for clean drinking water has been made in 46,975 schools in the State. In Aanganwadis also, clean drinking water arrangement for children has been made through hand pumps or tap connection.
At present, tube-well is the main source of drinking water in villages of the State. Because of irregular rainfall and excessive exploration of ground water, ground water level has been declined in some parts of the State. Quality of water has also been affected.
To deal with this problem and to maintain the ground water level, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) has constructed 39 stop dams, 119 check dams and 19 percolation tanks in various areas of the State.
In order to lessen dependability on ground water for drinking, emphasis is being given to supply water from schemes based on surface sources. The Government has been trying to supply clean and pure water to maximum urban and rural population through pipe, in place of hand pumps, officials stated.
At present, through 2,169 Nal-Jal schemes, water supply to more than 43 lakh village population has been done by pipelines, which is 24 per cent of the rural population of the State.Moreover, a total of 26 district-level Government laboratories have been established in Chhattisgarh for testing the purity of drinking water.
The Central Government’s increased focus is being given on small hydro, bio energy, new and emerging technologies. The Government also aims setting up renewable energy manufacturing bases in the country and establishment of renewable energy university and creating multiple job opportunities, they stated.
Giving a fillip to the country’s renewable energy programme, the Central Government has taken a slew of decisions in the last few months to boost “Clean Energy” in the country. In order to facilitate the speedy growth of renewable energy power generation in the country, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is preparing a Renewable Energy Bill.
There are several schemes in pipeline which include providing support of Rs1,000 crore to Central Public Sector units to set up over 1,000 MW grid connected solar photovoltaic power projects, setting up of over 300 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects by Defence, 25 solar energy projects with 20,000 MW capacity to be developed by 2019 and setting up of over 300 MW of solar power projects by Defence and Para military establishments.
The Government has also approved the scheme for setting up of 1,000 MW of Grid-Connected Solar PV Power Projects with VGF (Viability Gap Fund) support of Rs1,000 crore, in three years period from 2015-16 to 2017-18.
The Central Government had restored Accelerated Depreciation benefit in the Union Budget 2014 to give the much-needed relief to wind power developers and to ensure ramp-up of production The Government approved continuation of: (i) National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (NBMMP), (ii) Scheme to Support Promotion of Grid-Interactive Biomass Power and Bagasse Co-generation in Sugar Mills, (iii) Programme for the Development of Small Hydro Power, and (iv)Off-grid and Decentralised Solar Applications under JNNSM, during the 12th Plan period. The Government amicably resolved the anti-dumping duty dispute.
A whole host of measures have been undertaken to make India a “Solar manufacturing hub” with priority for domestic players in line with ‘Make in India’ programme, officials stated.