The Central Government has commenced roll-out of Rural Information and Communication Technology (RICT) solution using solar power for remote post offices in Chhattisgarh.
Chhattisgarh is among nine other States mainly Assam, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh and in Jharkhand, Telangana & Chhattisgarh in Phase-I where RICT had been rolled out, officials informed.
On the other hand, Chhattisgarh Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) will install Solar Photovoltaic Power Plants in six districts of Bastar division, officials informed.
The plants would be installed in Dantewada, Bastar, Sukma, Bijapur, Kondagaon and Kanker districts.
CREDA will also be installing solar photo voltaic water purification system in various locations of the State.
Notably, Chhattisgarh will procure additional power from renewable energy sources to the tune of approximately 700 MW by FY 2018, officials informed.
With this the average power purchase cost for Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Ltd (CSPDCL) based on the above power availability will increase from 2.58 Rs/kWh in FY 2015-16 to 3.12 Rs/kWh in FY 2018, they informed.
The rates have been derived based on cost of power at existing rates and considering no escalation in power purchase cost since it is passing through for the distribution company.
Notably, CREDA has invested Rs 400 crores during last 11 years in developing infrastructure for solar power generation which had resulted in 40 MW of electricity being generated from non conventional energy sources.
The agency will be installing a total of 10,000 submersible and surface solar photo voltaic (SPV) irrigation pumps in farm lands soon across the State.
The SPV Pumps shall be provided with lightening and over voltage protection. The principal aim in this protection is to reduce the over voltage to a tolerable value before it reaches the PV or other sub-systems components. The source of over voltage can be lightening or any other atmospheric disturbance, officials informed.
Notably, the State Government has already commenced preparation for setting up 51,000 solar powered irrigation pumps in a span of two-and-half-years in the State.
The government had set the target of setting up 11,000 solar pumps in the current financial year till March 2017 and the rest during the next two years.
Notably, Chhattisgarh government is also planning to add 2640 MW of additional renewable energy capacity by financial year 2018-19, officials informed.
The State currently has total renewable energy potential of 4,500 MW which includes solar (grid connected and roof top), wind, biomass and small hydro.
The State has also planned to install solar powered pump sets for agriculture consumers which will benefit 16,000 consumers.
It may be recalled that there are significantly more number of villages which are to be electrified in Chhattisgarh using the off-grid (solar) mode than the grid-based (conventional power supply.
The State has launched a ‘Solar Community Irrigation Project’ for drawing water extracted using solar pumps for supplying to the agricultural land of farmers across the State.
A total of 19 remote villages were approved for creation of solar ‘mini grids’ to provide them access to power supply as on February 2017 in Chhattisgarh, the Central Government has informed.
Village mini-grids are important components of universal access to electricity in the country particularly for those villages where grid connectivity is either not feasible or not cost effective, it informed.