Punjab in for renewable power revolution-Sukhbir

Punjab Newsline Network
Friday, 29 April 2011
CHANDIGARH:Deputy Chief Minister Punjab S. Sukhbir Singh Badal Friday said that Punjab was in for major revolution in producing power from renewable resources and was aiming to harness 1100 MW power from Biomass, Micro Hydro and Solar sectors.

Speaking to media persons Badal said that his visit to China was focused on generation of power from 22 lakh ton rice husk, looking for technology to generate power from speed of water in the canals besides transfer of latest solar technology to make it economically viable .Badal said that Punjab was facing major environmental crises as every season 22 Lakh ton paddy was burnt by farmers that besides creating an environmental problem was causing irreparable damage to productivity of soil.

He said that biomass technology available in the country was not meant for pour rice husk as raw material. Chinese company DP Cleantech Limited has patented a technology that can produce bio mass power using rice husk as a raw material. He said that company has developed boilers for combustion of rice straw at a high temperature and high pressure ranging to 540 degree centigrade at 92 bars.

He said that Chinese company has agreed to transfer technology to Punjab and set up Two Biomass plants of 15 MW each in the first phase in PPP mode and would maintain and run these plants for next five years. He said that delegation also visited a biomass plant in Xunxien in Hunan Province and a boiler manufacturing plant at Zhingzhong.

Badal said that Punjab was already a pioneer state as for as biomass power was concerned, he said that 32 biomass plants were in various stages of construction. Three plants with 40 MW capacity have already started generating power and three more plants would become operational within next three months and within 12 months all the 32 plants would contribute 300 MW power to the national grid. Badal said that with the setting up of these plants, farmers were getting additional income of Rs. 7000 to 10000 per acre for their agricultural residue besides contributing power to the state.

Speaking about the new technology seen at International centre for small Hydro power , a UNIDO assisted international centre at Hangzou. Badal said that by using this technology Punjab would be able to harness power from the velocity of water flowing through canals and rivers. He said that for generating power through new technology the flow of water should be more than 2 meter per second. Badal said that Punjab was already producing 40 MW power from mini hydro plants whereas China was generating 50000 MW from run of the water technology. Badal said that PEDA has already started developing of first such half MW plant that would become operational within three months. Badal said that Punjab was aiming to harness, 400 MW power from new micro hydro technology.

Giving the brief of solar technology Badal said that his visit to Trina Solar Power in Changzhou, 215 km from Shanghai would help the state to make solar power economically viable. He said that this plant was manufacturing mono/multicrystaline photovoltaic modules with huge manufacturing capacity of one GW. Badal said that Punjab was contemplating to harness solar power by utilizing roof tops of all government building besides other open spaces available for this purpose.

Badal said that his visit to china to quite useful as Punjab would step in an era of latest technology in the new power sector that besides utilizing agri waste of the state, would help us to harness power from natural resources like sun and water.