Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Saturday, Jun 22, 2002
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Saturday, Jun 22, 2002 |
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Industry & Economy
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Power ANERT plans to tap solar power for tribal colonies Our Bureau
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, June 21 THE Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology (Anert), which functions as the nodal agency of Union Ministry of Non-conventional Energy Sources (MNES) in Kerala, is embarking on a mission of tapping solar energy for electrification of all remote tribal colonies within the forests of the State. This will be the third phase of the agency's ongoing programme of rural electrification of villages through solar energy. The programme is being implemented with financial assistance from the Centre and the co-operation of local bodies. In the first phase, 5,900 families benefited from the installation of 11 solar power plants. Also, 100 streetlights were provided under the scheme. The total cost of the first phase was Rs 9.45 crore, of which Central assistance was Rs 3.97 crore, according to Mr K.S. Vijayan, Director, Anert. He told newspersons on Wednesday that the second phase of the programme, designed to bring electricity to 13,438 families, would be completed on June 30. The project cost of the second phase is Rs 18.2 crore, including a central assistance of Rs 8.6 crore. Mr Vijayan said that the agency's objective was to tap the non-conventional energy sources to the optimum to strengthen the State's power system. Towards this end, it would make use of small hydro sources, wind energy and organic waste. He said that it was estimated that the State could generate 500 MW from small hydel projects and 605 MW from wind energy. The agency has commissioned a project for generation 100 KW from organic waste and plans are afoot to set up another plant of 1.1 MW capacity, for which Central assistance has already been made available. Apart from power generation, the agency has set up nearly 45 bio-gas plants for the production of organic gas and 200 tonnes of organic fertilisers. During 2001-02, the Union Ministry had approved almost all the projects submitted by Anert and sanctioned financial assistance to the tune of Rs 14.65 crore, Mr Vijayan said. The major projects approved and being financed by the Ministry, besides the electrification of tribal colonies, are the establishment of a `National Renewable Energy Park' at Kochi and support for the installation of a 100 KW grid interactive power plant in the State Legislature complex.
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