KOLKATA: The Centre will soon call for bids for setting up a 30,000 MW solar power project in the Ladakh region subject to ‘some clarity’ on the evacuation issues, according to Pankaj Batra, Chairman, Central Electricity Authority (CEA).
The hilly areas of Ladakh are among the country’s most solar potential areas but transmission remains a challenge.
“It is a hilly path and it is not easy to reach there, but we have some ideas. There is one company which has said they know of an ideal way of doing this – partly through cable and partly through overhead transmission lines. So once we get some information on that we will call for bids to set up the project,” Batra told newspersons on the sidelines of an energy conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Kolkata on Friday.
On funding the project, he said, “We are still not sure how we should do that.”
Earlier, Prabir Kumar Mukhopadhyay, Chairman, DVC, said that the utility would start the supply of 300 MW of power to Bangladesh soon. This is part of bilateral initiative to step up power supplies from India to Bangladesh by 500 MW, beginning this year. India currently supplies 660 MW power to Bangladesh.
According to Mukhopadhyay, the supplies, which were scheduled to begin on June 1, were delayed by glitches in the cross-country transmission line through Bheramara on the Murshidabad border. DVC is also planning to set up a 1,500 MW of pumped storage facility at Bokaro in Jharkhand at an estimated cost of ₹5,200 crore.
“We are planning to set up the 1,500 MW (6×250 MW) pumped storage facility at Lugu Pahar near Bokaro. It will act as a storage facility for solar power generating units,” he said.
A pre-feasibility study has already been undertaken and a detailed project report (DPR) is likely to be ready in the next two years, he added.
Source: thehindubusinessline
