02-15-2008, 11:09 PM
<b>West Bengal to have first grid-connected solar power</b>
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Feb. 14: The Centre has finally agreed to give incentive to the state government for setting up the first grid-connected two mega watt solar power station at Dishergarh Power Station complex.
"This is the first plant of this kind to be set up in the country and 8.5 acre land has been earmarked for the project by DPSC at Asansol,'' Mr Mrinal Banerjee, state power minister said.
Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) and West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd (WBGEDCL) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) today for the purpose.
The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 41.2 crore excluding the price of the land and PFC has sanctioned a soft loan Rs 30.9 crore for the project. The rest of the money would be shared by WBGEDCL, the minister said.
"The solar power plant will produce 3.5 million units that will be bought by DPSC and WBGEDCL will receive Rs 15 per unit as tariff for selling the green power to DPSC, '' said Mr SP Gon Chowdhury, managing director of WBREDA.
He said: "Since it is the pilot project in the country, we will receive about Rs 10 to Rs 12 per unit as incentive from the Centre and the rest would be paid by DPSC '', Mr Gon Chowdhury said.
The minister said that 12 more proposed solar power projects are in the pipeline and WBGEDCL will set up an energy park at Purulia where private players would set up solar power plants.
Statesman News Service
KOLKATA, Feb. 14: The Centre has finally agreed to give incentive to the state government for setting up the first grid-connected two mega watt solar power station at Dishergarh Power Station complex.
"This is the first plant of this kind to be set up in the country and 8.5 acre land has been earmarked for the project by DPSC at Asansol,'' Mr Mrinal Banerjee, state power minister said.
Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC) and West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation Ltd (WBGEDCL) signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) today for the purpose.
The cost of the project is estimated to be Rs 41.2 crore excluding the price of the land and PFC has sanctioned a soft loan Rs 30.9 crore for the project. The rest of the money would be shared by WBGEDCL, the minister said.
"The solar power plant will produce 3.5 million units that will be bought by DPSC and WBGEDCL will receive Rs 15 per unit as tariff for selling the green power to DPSC, '' said Mr SP Gon Chowdhury, managing director of WBREDA.
He said: "Since it is the pilot project in the country, we will receive about Rs 10 to Rs 12 per unit as incentive from the Centre and the rest would be paid by DPSC '', Mr Gon Chowdhury said.
The minister said that 12 more proposed solar power projects are in the pipeline and WBGEDCL will set up an energy park at Purulia where private players would set up solar power plants.