Guwahati: A Netherlands-based solar power company, producing lightweight and flexible solar modules, has offered to set up a plant in Assam at the cost of $200 million.
The company, HyET Solar, said it was willing to invest $200 million to set up a plant to produce 200MW of solar power to benefit 20 lakh people. It also offered to tie up with local partners and financial institutions.
The company will look at the possibility of technology transfers to local partners and the Assam government in the long run. Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the power department would look at the proposal and arrange a meeting with the company.
A 32-member Dutch delegation, comprising the Netherlands ambassador to India, Alphonsus Stoelinga, trade and investment commissioner of the Netherlands to India Amlan Bora and representatives of 20 private companies based in Netherlands, are in the state for a two-day visit to look into opportunities in water management, healthcare and agriculture sectors.
The Dutch have made their presence felt in the state for the last seven to eight years through the Ayursundra diagnostic centre and the Ayursundra super-speciality hospital in the city. Wageningen University is also carrying out joint work in supply-chain management in agriculture with the Assam Agriculture University at Jorhat.
“Assam is not just blessed with natural beauty but also tremendous growth potential in sectors like healthcare and infrastructure. Through this visit, the Dutch government, alongside a delegation of companies from these sectors, take a step forward in substantiating lucrative partnerships with the Northeast. We had a fruitful discussion with Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and the participating companies like Phillips Healthcare, Arcadis, Ayursundra BV, Vital Health Software, HyET Solar and ICCO Cooperation made their pitch about their respective projects,” said Stoelinga.
He stressed that this is not a one-off visit but the start of a long engagement. A letter of intent will be signed upon getting clearance from the ministry of external affairs.
The Assam government has expressed its willingness to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Netherlands during the Global Investors’ Summit here in February this year.
Source: telegraphindia
