In order to meet the unprecedented demand for power, the state government has directed the APGenco to speed up the construction of solar power plants with financial assistance from the central government under the Clean Energy Fund.
There are proposals to set up solar power plants in Kadapa, Anantapur, Rangareddy, Kurnool and Mahbubnagar districts. The Genco sent the proposals to the APTransco for finalisation. The AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has made it mandatory for power distribution companies, Discoms, to meet the solar purchase obligation.
In order to meet the unprecedented rise in demand for power and to bridge the gap between the demand and supply to some extent, the state has decided to give utmost priority to encouraging renewable energy in general and solar and wind power in particular. It has decided to initiate special measures to expedite establishment of solar power projects.
The government, which had given accord to Genco for setting up solar power plants with a minimum total capacity 100 MW generation at its thermal power and hydel project sites, asked the power utility to raise the required funds from the Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and banks.
Disclosing these details at a meeting held at the Jurala Priyadarshini Hydro-electric Project site with Genco managing director Vijayanand and director (hydel & solar ) G Adiseshu and other senior officials, principal secretary (energy) Dinesh Kumar asked the officials to speed up the process. Dinesh Kumar inspected the functioning of a 1 MW solar power plant, which was commissioned by APGenco recently. He asked the Genco to prepare a comprehensive project report on setting up solar power projects in a big way and submit the report to the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) for assistance under the Green Energy Fund.
In view of the growing demand for electricity, it is high time for the government and power utilities to take up renewable energy projects on a war-footing to achieve additional capacity, small or big, to give relief to consumers, Dinesh Kumar said.
The APERC has announced regulations recently mandating compliance with the renewable purchase power obligation by procuring renewable energy certificates. The commission has fixed solar power purchase obligation for Discoms, open access consumers and captive power consumers whose installed capacity is more than 1 MW at 0.25 per cent. It is estimated that Discoms are in need of about 150 MW for meeting the solar purchase obligation for 2013-14.
Genco has clear lands at RTPP in Kadapa district and in Hyderabad, sufficient for establishment of 30 MW solar power plants. It is also in the process of acquiring 350 acres in Anantapur, Kurnool and Mahbubnagar districts for establishment of plants to generate 70 MW of power. The estimated cost of generation per MW for solar power will be around Rs 7 to 8 crore. The initial per unit cost is expected to be around Rs 8 and is likely to go down as the generation increases.
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