Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday asked the officials to go ahead with all the Renewable energy projects, particularly the solar wind, and bio-mass power projects and see that they are commissioned and generate power at the earliest.
While holding a detailed review meeting with ministers and officials at the State Secretariat on Renewable Energy, the Chief Minister cleared the solar and wind power policy guidelines and asked the officials to go ahead for finalisation of Power Purchase Agreements.
Ministers Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, Dr J Geetha Reddy, Kanna Lakshminarayana, P Sudarshan Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy and Syed Ahmedullah, Chief Secretary Minnie Mathew, Principal Secretary (Energy) M Sahoo, Principal Secretary (Finance) V Bhasker, NERDCAP MD Kamalakar Babu, Irrigation (Secretary) Adityanath Das, AP GENCO MD K Vijayanand, MDs of all Discoms and other officials attended the meeting.
The Chief Minister asked the officials to go ahead with the bidding process for 1000 MW solar power in the first phase and see that the solar power projects are commissioned within six or seven months. He told the Energy department to go ahead with the tendering process in a most transparent manner. He also agreed to hike the unit cost of Bio-mass power from Rs.4.00 to Rs.5.50 per unit for one year. This will add 100 to 150 MW power to the grid,.
Kiran Kumar said that since the APERC would come out with the tariffs for wind power by Monday, they could also go ahead with the power purchase agreements with the wind power generators immediately. He asked the MD, NERDCAP to calculate the costs for solar power for all Govt. schools and college hostels of 500 students in the State for lighting, cooking and hot water, so that the government will consider implementing the same.
New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (NREDCAP) promotes Rural Energy Programmes – National Biogas & Manure Management Programme and Improved Chulhas Programme. It also promotes Renewable Energy Power Projects viz., Wind Power, Small Hydro, Biomass Power, Bagasse Based Co-generation, Municipal Solid Waste, Industrial Waste, Biomass Co-generation (Non-Bagasse) Geothermal etc., and Energy Conservation activities.
So far 1149.133 MW capacity Renewable Energy power projects have been commissioned in the State. 4.07 lakhs of biogas plants and 34.34 lakhs of improved chulhas have been installed. Meanwhile, one of the major constraints for execution of wind power projects is availability of stable grid to evacuate the power. The government, to clear the proposals on time bound basis, has already constituted a Task Force Committee.
The Government has constituted a Committee with Group of Ministers to formulate a policy on Mini Hydel Schemes on Major Canals and Major Rivers in the State. The Committee has conducted the meetings and the finalization of the policy is under process. As per the Government instructions vide letter dated.30.10.2012, action has been initiated for cancellation of registrations of those developers who have not furnished DPRs so far in respect of Mini Hydel Schemes registered with NREDCAP as per the conditions stipulated therein. The Chief Minister asked the officials to go ahead with fresh bidding process immediately. (INN)