The West Bengal government will make grid-connected land available for setting up renewable energy projects - mainly solar and wind - in Kharagpur and Mandarmani respectively.
Stating this at the 4th Energy Conclave, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Eastern Region, the state's power secretary Malay De today promised assured fuel linkage for forthcoming expansion plans.
De, who is also the convener of the conclave, attended by all stakeholders - from policymakers, key energy professionals, representatives from generation, transmission and distribution sectors, to independent power producers, said, "We made a conscious departure from ultra-mega power projects and increased efficiency. This has increased efficiency in fluctuation and enhanced flexibility."
''We have absolutely no worry in the next 8-10 years,'' the power secretary said adding ''no matter how big the demand is, West Bengal is comfortably placed. On the fuel front, we have assured availability and ensured price. We also have captive coal mines. In terms of energy security, renewable, customer service, we have done exceedingly well''.
On the renewable energy front, he said that the state government had decided that all major government buildings would have solar rooftops.
''Rajarhat New Town will become a Solar City. We are working on the plans and modalities. In fact, the government has identified a few more places where such a model will be tried,'' he said.
Speaking on the Centre's perspectives on solar mission, Joint secretary in union new and renewable energy (MNRE) Tarun Kapoor said ''given that the country is in overall deficit, solar energy can make a perceptible difference. The equivalent energy potential is about 6,000 million GHh of energy per year''.
Damodar Valley Corporation chairman R N Sen underscored the need for deeper integration between generators and distributors, saying ''with the demand pattern being erratic, we have to have a holistic way''.
On the recent unrest in DVC's Raghunathpur project in Purulia district, Sen expressed hope that matters would be resolved.
