JOIN US'2,520 MW more power by March'
The State will have 2520 MW of additional power to its grid by March 31, next year, Home Minister Dr V S Acharya has said.
Speaking at a programme to dedicate the three-MW solar power plant at Yelesandra in Bangarpet taluk on Thursday, the minister said the power crisis in the State would ease TO some extent with the commissioning of the solar plant.
“We hope that majority of the problems pertaining to power will be addressed with the additional generation expected by March next year,” the minister said.
Acharya said Karnataka had drawn the attention of the world by tapping of hydel power 108 years ago and the State was hogging he limelight once again with the setting up of first solar power plant in South Asia. The plant has been commissioned in a span of ten months, he said.
Cooperation sought
Union Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa said the Union Government should provide subsidy to projects using solar power. Farmers have been facing crop failure due to erratic power supply. The Union Government should therefore extend cooperation to the projects which propose to utilise solar energy, he appealed to Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr Farooq Abudullah, who was present at the programme.
The Yelesandra solar power plant set up at a cost of Rs 75 crore under ‘Arunodaya’ is the first of its kind in the country. Sixteen companies had participated in the tender process and the State did not backtrack when after knowing that it costs Rs 25 crore to generate one MW of solar power. However, it decreased to Rs 19 crore once the tenders were floated. the cost has further been reduced to Rs 13 crore in the tenders for Raichur plant and is expected to go down to Rs 10 crore in future days.
Power generation
The Yelesandra plant generates 3,000 units of power per hour and on an average 15,000 units per day. This translates to 40 lakh units per year, explained Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Managing Director Dr S M Jaamdar.
Earlier, dedicating the power plant to the nation, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Farooq Abdullah said solar power could effective be used for mid-day meals scheme also. He said a huge amount was being spent for purchasing fuel from other countries and the country could save money by taking to new and renewable energy sources in a big way. Solar energy could be harnessed by installing solar panels to cellphone signal towers also.
Illuminating Hampi
Abdullah said the Union Government has plans to beautify Hampi ruins with solar powered lights. A project will be formulated in association with Union ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Tourism Department and State Government. He noted that Karnataka has been in the forefront of wind power generation as well.
Against the potential of 12,000 MW, the state is generating 1,500 MW. The government should facilitate expediting the land acquisition.“We also extend support to hydel power projects. Efforts are on to set up minor units near water sources. In this way, the State could achieve self-sufficiency in power requirement,” Abdullah noted.
Calling for communal harmony, the Union Minister said the progress of the country hinges on communal amity and citizens should conduct themselves responsibility in maintaining it. Referring to relations with Pakistan, Abdullah said India has “managed” relationship with Pakistan despite strains, for the past 65 years and predicted that the animosity with the neighbour would end in the coming days.
Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, however, did not attend the programme as scheduled. Minister for Higher Education Aravind Limbavali, legislators M Narayanaswamy, Nazir Ahmed, Y A Narayanaswamy, Y Sampangi, D S Veeraiah and others were present.