The Union ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) has recognised Karnataka as the new solar hub of the country. The state, which is starved of power, in its bid to improve power supply, has set up three solar power plants of 3 Mw each at three places. It is the first such attempt in the country, and hence won accolades from the Centre.
State-owned Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) has erected two of the three solar power plants in Kolar and Belgaum districts. The first plant at Kolar, which has already generated 4 million units of energy, will be dedicated to the nation on June 17 by Farooq Abdullah, Union minister for new and renewable energy.
Considering this achievement of KPCL, the MNRE has identified the KPCL as the nodal agency for promoting solar energy and entrusted it with the task of setting up a national training centre for solar energy. The new centre, set up jointly by MNRE and KPCL at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore, will be inaugurated on June 17, Krishnamurthy D C, executive engineer, KPCL, said.
The solar energy training centre, set up at KPCL premises in Bangalore, will train engineers in producing solar energy and they will be given field knowledge at the three solar plants developed by it in the state.
KPCL is the first power generator in India to set up three solar power projects on a pilot basis for an estimated cost of Rs 162 crore. The first one is located at Yelesandra village in Kolar district and the second is in Chikodi taluk of Belgaum district. The third plant is set to come up in Raichur district.
Each of these three projects will supply 3 Mw of electricity during the day, between 11 am and 5 pm, to the state grid.
Each of them will power around 600 irrigation pump sets and irrigate 1,200 acres of farm land.
Presently, apart from Karnataka, states like West Bengal and Punjab have set up solar power plants of only 1 Mw.
Krishnamurthy said, KPCL has used solar photovoltaic modular crystalline technology to set up these plants on a 15-acre plot.
“Apart from the Central government’s recognition, we have also won a contract from the government of Gujarat to replicate the Karnataka model there. KPCL has signed an MoU with Gujarat for providing consultancy services to the Gujarat government for setting up a 3 Mw power plant at Baroda, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar,” he said.
S Ramesh, chief engineer, new projects, KPCL, said several private companies have approached the corporation for preparing project reports and providing consultancy services for setting up solar power plants.
“In the larger interest of the country we are willing to provide consultancy services free of cost to institutions and non-governmental organisations interested in venturing into solar energy sector,” he said.
The MNRE has set a target to generate 20,000 Mw of solar energy in the country by 2020. By 2013, about 1,000 Mw is likely to be generated. Encouraged by the success of its pilot projects at these three places, KPCL is now working on setting up 100 Mw of solar power plants in a joint venture with private firms.
