K’TAKA GENERATES NEARLY 50% OF COUNTRY’S RENEWABLE ENERGY: BOMMAI TATA POWER TO OPERATIONALISE SOLAR CELL, MODULE FACILITY

BY DEC: CEO SINHA

Stating that Karnataka has 15,000 MW in-stand renewable energy, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the sector will gain importance in the next five years. Bommai said ‘The Global Investors’ meet had provided an opportunity to nine companies to invest Rs 3 lakh crore in green hydrogen production, of which Rs 2 lakh crore in renewable energy. “Karnataka has been at the forefront of generating renewable energy and the maximum number of research in Electric Vehicles and EV transport vehicles is going on. The aim is to become number one in the manufacturing of EV in the country. As a prelude, the investor-friendly EV policy has been implemented,” he said. Bommai said: “The state stands first in producing ethanol, a biofuel. Since Karnataka has several sugar factories, a young entrepreneur, Vijay Nirani, is into producing ethanol on a big scale in the whole of the country. The state will make a big contribution to producing ethanol.” “In Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Amrit Kal’,they aim to develop the energy sector on a big scale. It will be achieved through the slogan ‘maximum fuel’, and ‘minimum pollution’,” he said. Thanking the Prime Minister and Union Energy Minister for holding ‘India Energy Week-2023’ in Bengaluru, the CM said: “The definition of life has changed after Covid with new aims, achievements, and stand.” “Having successfully run the Gujarat government, PM Modi has brought revolutionary changes in the field of energy. With this experience, he has made many important changes,” Bommai said.

In July 2022, Tata Power inked a pact with the Tamil Nadu government to invest Rs 3,000 crore for setting up a new facility to manufacture solar cells and modules in Tirunelveli district of the state. The construction work is going on in full swing. The equipment to set up the unit have already been ordered. The aim is to make the plant operational by December-end of this year, Sinha told PTI. He made the remarks in a reply to a question on the timeline of the project. As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government, Tata Power company has to set up a greenfield 4GW solar cell and 4GW solar module manufacturing plant in the southern state.

“We expect the module plant to be ready by AugustSeptember and roll out the modules September onwards. We are at a very advanced stage of implementing the cell lines that will also be ready by the end of this year,” he said. On the 225 MW hybrid project in Karnataka, he said the company awaits regulatory approval and clearances from the regulatory commission for purchase of power. In December 2022, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), a subsidiary of Tata Power, had received a letter of award (LoA) from Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) to set up the wind and solar hybrid power project in Karnataka. TPDDL is a joint venture of Tata Power and the NCT of Delhi.

Source: PTI Source: PTI