Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu launched the 1 MWp Solar Power Plant the biggest solar project installed in the State so far at the Energy Awareness Park near Indira Gandhi Park, here today.
The project ‘Installation of 1 MWp Grid Connected Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant’ was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 8.50 crore with the Arunachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (APEDA) being the implementing agency. It was funded under the ‘incentive grant’ under 13th Finance Commission, Government of India.
In his inaugural speech, the Chief Minister appreciated the efforts of APEDA in making use of solar power to generate energy and in feeding power to the grid, which will cut down energy costs.
He said, as the world grapples with global warming, the use of renewable sources of energy is the best way to prevent it and emphasized on activities, which are environment friendly.
Citing the PM Narendra Modi’s initiative to provide power to all under Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana ‘Saubhagya’, Khandu said that under the leadership of PM Modi, the country is looking towards green energy and slowly phasing out use of non-renewable sources of energy.
Earlier, giving a brief on the project, APEDA director Er Marki Loya said the biggest solar project so far installed in Arunachal Pradesh is feeding the power generation into 11 KV grid network of department of power. Depending on weather condition and solar radiation, the generation starts at 0530 hrs in the morning till 1800 hrs in the evening.
It has attained a peak generation of 1.07MW and the energy generated from the date of its commissioning on April 1, 2018 till today is more than one lakh units and the deemed CO2 reduction by this plant so far is 78 tons.
He further informed that the import of energy from outside the state is reduced to the extent following its generation thereby reducing the energy bill payable by the state. Being located in the load centre, it will also contribute in reduction of line losses. It will also help in meeting the solar RPO (Renewable Energy Purchase Obligation) to some extent.
The plant is totally automatic and unmanned one. It automatically switches on getting sunshine and grid is available and switches off when either sunshine or grid supply or both are not available.
Among others, power & industries minister Tamiyo Taga, APEDA chairman Wanglam Sawin, commissioner, power & NRE Kaling Tayeng and senior govt officers were also present on the occasion.
Source: UNI
