Bhubaneswar: July 06: In another step towards production of carbon neutral green energy, Government has sped up steps for exploiting huge scope of solar power in the State. This was discussed in a high level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Sri Asit Tripathy in Lokseba Bhawan conference hall today, wherein Principal Secretary and Chairman Green Energy Development Corporation ( GEDCOL) Sri Bishnupada Sethi presented the scope and commercial feasibility for production of more solar power in the State.
Reviewing the progress made so far, Chief Secretary Sri Tripathy directed to work out the detail road map with time lines for enhancing solar power production on commercial basis. He directed to adopt latest technology for reducing the cost of production. Further, Sri Tripathy directed to develop OREDA and GEDCOL as professionally equipped commercial bodies in renewable energy sector.
Chairman GEDCOL Sri Sethi appraised, “State need to produce 1500 MW of solar power by the year 2022 to meet the renewable power obligation (RPO). State is now able to produce the solar power at competitive price of around Rs. 2.71 per unit; and, hence it is commercially feasible to ramp up commercial production through GEDCOL.
Available data show, as of now around 474 MW on-grid solar power plants have already been installed at different parts of the State through GEDCOL and OREDA. GEDCOL has set up plants of 362 MW through both the public and private investments. Similarly, OREDA has installed on-grid capacity of around 112 MW. In addition to this, OREDA has projects of 460 MW capacity in pipeline.
It was decided in the meeting that GEDCOL would develop 275 MW capacity solar park at four locations in Sambalpur and Boudh district; and, 500 MW capacity floating solar projects over large water reservoirs in partnership with NHPC. Principal Secretary Sri Sethi appraised that GEDCOL has expedited steps for 19 MW capacity on-grid rooftop solar plant and 08 MW ground based solar plants at different places. The proposal for removing the present MW limitation for OREDA also received in principal approval of the meeting. Chief Secretary Sri Tripathy directed to bring out a coordinated and comprehensive work plan for up-scaling the renewable energy production in the State.
Principal Secretary Energy Sri N.B.Dhal, Principal Secretary Revenue & Disaster Management and Chairman GEDCOL Sri Bishnupada Sethi, Principal Scretary Finance Sri Ashok Meena along with Senior officers of concerned departments participated in the deliberations.
