Though Kasargod is rated among the most suitable places to generate solar power in Kerala, the state is yet to make a full-fledged effort to ascertain the area available for renewable
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though Kasargod is rated among the most suitable places to generate solar power in Kerala, the state is yet to make a full-fledged effort to ascertain the area available for renewable energy production. Nor has a survey been conducted, despite the state boasting a renewable energy policy for commercial production of solar energy. While it was hitherto believed suitable land — with the required elevation and high radiation for the commercial production of photovoltaic power — will be hard to find in a state like Kerala, a recent investor meet threw up surprising numbers.
Land in the range of 800-900 acres was proposed by landowners — chiefly from Kasargod, Kannur and other northern regions — for setting up solar projects in the meet called by KSEB in association with the Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (Anert). KSEB chairman N S Pillai told Express KSEB will be embarking on a mission to create a database comprising the details of prospective landowners looking for investment and technology. “The database will also serve as a platform for investors and technology suppliers to meet and set terms for their businesses. This digital repository can be used while formulating policies related to renewable energy,” he said.
Anert director R Harikumar said the agency, around nine months back, had tried to create a digital repository of such landowners. “A Google document created on the Anert website allows landowners to register their names and the extent of land available for power generation. But the response was poor from the stakeholders, owing to various reasons. The landowners were sceptical of the move fearing registration would invite some sort of legal tangle, for instance conditions like land cannot be sold or if the government would acquire the land in future,” he said.
But all these, Harikumar said, have turned out to be misplaced apprehensions.
“Landowners themselves have now started to understand the potential of the sector, which is evident from the investors meet in which half the participants were landowners,” he said. “Having recently launched an app to collect information regarding the installation of renewable energy devices, Anert will support KSEB in creating a database for the same,” he said.
A long way from 2,500 MW target
Though the renewable energy policy was drafted in 2013, and work was launched targeting the creation of an installed capacity of 500 MW by 2017 in the solar energy sector, the project could generate only around 125 MW solar energy so far. Of that, around 30 MW is produced by the Cochin International Airport Ltd, showing the state has a long way to go to meet its target. By 2030, the state intends to produce 2,500 MW of solar energy. Anert is pinning its hopes on rooftop solar energy production to meet its 500 MW power target by 2021, as against the original plan of over 1,000 MW for the year.
Source: newindianexpress
