Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government is going to increase solar power capacity in the State.
The chief secretary, Asit Tripathy, while chairing a review meeting on renewable energy, here on Monday, directed the concerned officials to workout the detail road map with time lines.
Principal secretary and chairman Green Energy Development Corporation ( GEDCOL) Bishnupada Sethi presented the scope and commercial feasibility for production of more solar power in the State.
He detailed out the plan for production of carbon neutral green energy and said the government has speeded up steps for exploiting huge scope of solar power in the State.
Reviewing the progress made so far, chief secretary Tripathy directed to adopt latest technology for reducing the cost of production. Further, Tripathy directed to develop OREDA and GEDCOL as professionally equipped commercial bodies in renewable energy sector.
Chairman GEDCOL 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.
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 N.B.Dhal, principal secretary finance Ashok Meena along with senior officers of concerned departments participated in the deliberations.
