NEW DELHI: The government should reassess the Leh-Ladakh solar power generation programme keeping in mind the lowered cost of generating power, according to Minister for Coal and Railways Piyush Goyal.
Speaking at the 7th Indian Energy Congress, Goyal said, “We could possibly relook the Leh-Ladakh programme. We had aborted that despite it giving a very good Plant Load Factor because of the high transmission cost. At the lowered cost of solar power generation, we could re-examine the project and now be able to pay a little more on transmission charges.
“The landed cost will still be very attractive in the long run. It could also give power for probably a little longer duration, considering the hours of sun the region has,” he added.
Goyal also said that the country should start aiming beyond 2022 for clean energy goals. He said, “In 2022, with nearly 225 GW of renewable energy, my sense is that renewable energy would be between 15 and 17 per cent of the country’s actual power consumption.
“With technological advancements of solar power, better wind generation with larger turbines and transition to higher plant load factors, we must aim for having around 30 per cent of the energy mix being generated from renewable energy by 2030.”
“This would mean quadrupling our renewable energy sources,” he added.
Source: PTI
