Bhubaneswar: The Center has approved three solar parks with a cumulative capacity of 340MW for Odisha under the solar park scheme, Union new and renewable energy minister RK Singh said on Tuesday.
Responding to a query by BJD MP Sujeet Kumar , Singh, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, said one 40-MW solar park has been planned in Landeihill village in Ganjam district. The other two will be floating parks. One of them with 200MW capacity has been planned in Rengali reservoir, while details about the other one with 100MW capacity are yet to be known. However, the ministry has finalized another water body for the park.
For the Landeihill village park, NHPC Ltd has already acquired 176 acres and finalized the EPC contractor to implement the project. The firm had invited bids in August 2020 to select the contractor that will undertake the works related to designing, engineering, procurement, manufacturing, quality assurance, testing, insurance, supply, installation and commissioning of the plant.
Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency is the nodal body of the state government to implement the power plants. At present, the state produces over 430-MW solar power from different sources.
The Union minister also said a 10-MW solar power project has been sanctioned as part of the project for solarisation of Konark temple and town in Kalahandi district’s Tentulipada village. The move to solarise the sun temple and Konark town is part of the state’s efforts to make it India’s first zero-emission city by the year-end.
To promote production and use of renewable energy in the state, the government in 2016 had unveiled the Odisha Renewable Energy Policy that offered a wide range of incentives to those who are planning to set up renewable energy production units.
Source: PTI
