Stressing on the Union government’s initiatives to tap renewable energy sources, Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers, New and Renewable Energy Bhagawanth Khuba said that the country would meet its target of 175 GW of energy from solar, wind and other renewable sources.
“We are already generating 101 GW from renewable sources. Projects with a combined installed capacity of 50 GW are in progress. Work on other projects with a combined installed capacity of 25 GW would begin soon. Keeping the growing energy requirement of the country in mind, we have set a target of 450 GW from renewable energy sources by 2030,” Mr. Khuba said at a media conference at a private hotel in Kalaburagi on August 18. The Minister was in the city to take part in his party’s Janashirvada Yatra.
Mr. Khuba said that three more solar parks, apart from the one in Kalaburagi with an installed capacity of 500 MW, would come up in Karnataka with a combined capacity of 1,200 MW.
“We have planned for solar parks in Bidar, Bagalkot and Koppal. We have received a good response from investors in Koppal and Bagalkot,” the Minister said.
Mr. Khuba claimed that India would be self-sufficient in fertilisers by 2022 by enhancing its technology-driven production capacities.
“Before BJP-led government came to power at the Centre, five coal-based fertiliser production plants were closed for various reasons. We are reopening them by transforming them from coal-based to gas-based. Two of them have resumed operations. Once all five plants start commercial production, they would together produce 12.70 lakh metric tonnes of fertiliser per annum. We are among the first countries to use nanotechnology in fertiliser production. IFFCO has introduced nanotechnology-based urea. The use of nanotechnology in DAP is at the experimental stage, and commercial production would start after completion of trials,” Mr. Khuba said adding that nanotechnology-based fertilisers offered greater efficacy and lower production cost, which would mean that farmers would get better fertilisers at lower cost.
On the mega pharmaceutical park coming up at Kadechur in Yadgir district, Mr. Khuba said that the Union government had given ₹1,000 crore to the Karnataka government for developing infrastructure for the project, excluding land purchase.
“With the money, the State government is developing roads, drains, electricity supply lines, water supply facilities. Big drug-producing companies are showing interest in establishing their plants in Kadechur Pharma Park. India is one of the top exporters of pharmaceutical products. One in five drugs consumed worldwide is from India. We are planning to further augment our drug production capacities,” he said.