West Bengal targets 115 mw solar power by 2013

Kolkata, Dec 28 : West Bengal expects to generate 115 megawatt solar power by March 2013, an official said Monday.

"We are expecting to generate 110 mw from land-based solar power plants to be set up with the help of private sector companies. Another 5 mw will be produced through rooftop panels by 2013," West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC) managing director S.P. Gon Chaudhuri told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar here.

Around Rs.1,500 crore will be invested to produce the 115 mw.

The government has given a proposal to the union New and Renewable Energy Ministry to get this amount. At present, the state produces only 15 mw of solar power.

According to the National Solar Mission, India should have an installed capacity of 20,000 mw by the end of the 13th Five Year Plan in 2022, implemented in three stages. For the first phase, scheduled to be over by 2013, the solar power capacity is expected to be around 1,300 mw.

"Out of 20,000 mw by 2022, we want to produce 2,000 mw," Gon Chaudhri said at the seminar, which was part of the Industrial India Trade Fair organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

He said the state would take up the task of making solar modules with a generation capacity of at least 500 mw of power by 2013.

By 2013, the whole country is expected to produce that much module, which can generate 5,000 mw of solar power, according to the mission.

Gon Chaudhuri said six companies - Webel, Moser Baer, Reliance Industries Ltd, Synergy Solar (P) Ltd, Astonfield and Videocon - have shown interest in making solar modules in the state.

He said solar lighting in around 100,000 homes will be done by 2013.

According to the mission, solar home lighting of 20 million homes in remote areas is planned by 2022. Of this, West Bengal will account of two million.

The investment for this will be to the tune of Rs.2,000 crore. The programme would be undertaken in areas like Sunderbans, West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, part of Cooch Behar and Jalpaiguri districts.

These home lighting will be done by small units called integrators in the remote areas. There are around 30 such integrators in the state, he said.

The state government has formed the West Bengal Green Energy Development Corp Ltd to boost private investments in non-conventional renewable energy sources. It is promoted by the West Bengal Power Development Corp, West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Co Ltd and the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency.