Year-End Review - 2240 Villages get Lighting through Renewable Energy
472 DISTRICT LEVEL ENERGY PARKS, 24 STATE LEVEL ENERGY PARKS SANCTIONED
The renewable
energy such as solar, wind, biomass and small hydro is getting greater recognition
in meeting the day to day energy requirements for cooking, lighting, process
heat, captive power of domestic, commercial and industrial sectors. Besides,
the renewable energy sector is now an established sector in our country with
significant installed grid quality renewable power, which has reached 9100
MW during 2006, about 7.5% of the countries grid power capacity. Of this,
wind alone contributes to about 6070 MW and small hydropower has touched 1850
MW. Besides this, a large number of decentralized renewable energy systems
such as biogas plants, solar water heating systems, biomass gasifiers, solar
photovoltaic systems, etc. have been promoted under various schemes of the
Ministry.
The Ministry’s
name has been rechristened as Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in October
2006 to reflect the focus of renewable energy sector. The year 2006 has been
significant for the Ministry from the view point of promoting solar water
heating systems, wind power and biomass power installations, giving a wide
publicity through establishing Renewable Energy Clubs in Engineering and Technology
Institutions and launching a National Quiz on Renewable Energy in weekly programme
of Zee Television on every Sunday since 20th August, 2006. Besides,
a state level quiz in Marathi language was held in Maharashtra and 3 episodes
of semi-finals and final were telecast on Sayadari channel of doordarshan
during November 2006. The major achievements
during 2006 under various schemes are highlighted as follows: -
Scheme on
grid connected power
In order
to accelerate the harnessing of renewable energy for grid connected power
projects, a new scheme has been launched in the month of December 2006. Various
fiscal and financial support for grid connected power generation projects
based on small hydro, wind and cogeneration technologies. The scheme especially
provides a capital subsidy ranging from Rs.40 lakhs per MW to Rs.60 lakhs
per MW depending upon boiler pressure with an upper limit of Rs.8 crore per
project for setting up of cogeneration projects in cooperative/public/joint
sector sugar mills.
Significant
capacity addition of wind power
India
has maintained its 4th position in the world after Germany, Spain
and US in wind power installation capacity. Grid-connected power generation
capacity through wind energy crossed 6070 MW in 2006. This year 738 MW capacity
addition through wind energy has been set up till 30th November
2006.
Biomass
energy
180
MW of biomass power projects have been commissioned during 2006, making a
cumulative achievement to 1038 MW. This includes the setting up of biomass
power projects through direct combustion and biogases cogeneration. A 2.5
MW poultry waste-based power plant has been commissioned in Salem district
of Tamil Nadu in September 2006. The foundation stone of a 12 MW rice straw
waste power plant has been laid by the Hon’ble Minister Shri Vilas Muttemwar
in Patiala district in the presence of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab in
December 2006.
In
view of the requests received from various states, the targets of family type
biogas plants have been revised from 60,000 to 100,000 plants during the year.
An interactive digitized Biomass Resources Atlas has been prepared using GIS
model and has been placed on the web site of Indian Institute of Sciences,
Bangalore. The same will be linked to MNRE web site soon.
Small
Hydro Power
45 MW of small hydropower projects have been commissioned during
2006 making a cumulative achievement to 1850 MW. This has picked up in hilly
areas in which Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh have shown
significant progress.
Progress
in Remote Village through Renewable Sources
About 2240 remote villages have so far been provided lights
through renewable energy sources. During the year 264 villages and 236 hamlets
have been provided lighting or electricity under the Remote Village
Electrification Programme. Financial support of 90% of the cost of
electrification is provided as Central Financial Assistance under Remote
Village Electrification Programme of the Ministry.
Campaign
for Solar Water Heating System launched
The Ministry has launched a scheme
to promote the use of solar water heating systems for which the interest rates
were reduced to 2 per cent for domestic users, 3 per cent for institutional
users and 5 per cent for commercial users. Incentives have been provided to
individual motivators, State Nodal Agencies (SNAs) as also to the nationalized
/ scheduled banks participating in the scheme.
The scheme has been popularized through a campaign launched in the print
media during 2006. This has shown tremendous response and systems having
capacity over 6 lakhs collector area have been installed for domestic,
commercial and industrial applications. The States of Maharashtra, Karnataka
and Delhi have provided special incentives to promote solar water heaters in
2006. The Ministry organized an interaction meet with banks / financial
institutions and gave away awards to best performing banks.
Solar photovoltaic
systems
While the growth of
solar photovoltaic systems continued to expand for domestic and export demand.
It has reached a level of 100 MW production per year. A new scheme for
providing financial support for solar lanterns for the beneficiaries in the un
electrified villages of special category states has been launched in the month
of Jannuary, 2006. Further, a new scheme for providing one solar lantern to
girl student of class IX to XII belonging below poverty line family free of
cost in un electrified villages and hamlets of the special category of states
and Union Territory Islands has been launched in October, 2006. It will help
the girl students, to study during the nights also.
Renewable Energy Clubs
Renewable
Energy Clubs have shown tremendous response in promoting renewable energy among
the Engineering and Technology Institutions all over the country. As a result
458 Renewable Energy Clubs have been established in various States. These clubs
are being provided with a grant of Rs.25, 000 per annum by the Ministry.
Formation of
District Advisory Committees
The Ministry
has constituted DACs (District Advisory Committees), in 550 districts of the
country. These DACs are promoting the use and creating awareness about
renewable energy devices and systems in the respective district. A State level orientation programme of all
DACs members was held in Maharashtra and such orientation programmes have been
planned for Uttar Pradesh and Assam. These DACs are providing valuable feedback
which is duly considered by the Ministry.
Renewable
Energy Parks
So far 472 District Level Energy Parks
(DLEP) and 24 State Level Energy Parks (SLEP) have been sanctioned in the country.
Out of this, 53 DLEPs and four SLEP were sanctioned during the current
financial year 2006-07. These Parks are creating awareness and giving publicity
among students, teachers, and rural and urban masses to the extent possible
about the use and benefits of Renewable Energy Systems and devices. Two state
level energy parks one each at Bhubaneshwar and Guwahati have been inaugurated
during the year.
Publicity and
Awareness
Due importance
has been given to create awareness amongst masses about the benefits of using
renewable energy systems and devices through electronic, print media and out
door publicity. The following major steps were taken in this direction:
Regional
Exhibitions
The Ministry
has provided financial support for about 110 district / state level exhibitions
in different States/UTs of the country in which different NRSE systems and
devices as well as working models and translites etc. have been displayed. This
includes major exhibitions held in Nagpur in August 2006, Tawang district in Arunachal
Pradesh and Sunderbans in West Bengal.
Rajiv Gandhi Akshay Urja Diwas
Rajiv Gandhi
Akshay Urja Diwas (RGAUD) has been celebrated with grate zeal and enthusiasm
all over the country on 20th August every year since 2004. During 2006 also, RGAUD was organized on 20th
August 2006. Awareness Progrmmes on mass scale were organized at National,
State and District levels in India. Exhibitions, organizing mass rallies, essay
and painting competitions, forming human chains and holding debates and group
discussions etc. to create much needed awareness about the use of renewable
energy. The National level function was held in Nagpur district of Maharashtra
‘Akshay Urja’ Marathon was the main activity of the function.
India International Trade Fair – 2006
Like every year
the Ministry also participated in recently held India International Trade Fair
(IITF-2006) at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from November 14-27, 2006. Lakhs of
visitors including media persons visited Renewable Energy Pavilion set-up by
the MNRE on this occasion and had shown keen interest in various working
models, translites, murals and actual NRSE systems and devices. About 30 stalls
were setup, which displayed various solar thermal and solar photovoltaic run
devices including solar cookers. Solar
water heaters, solar lanterns, solar invertors, solar water-pumps, solar garden
lights, solar torches and solar run street, home lighting systems, etc.
Akshay Urja News Letter
The bi-monthly
news letter entitled Akshay Urja was continued and six issues were
published. The News letter has been
well received with five issues published so far containing useful information
and details of developments in the sector not only in India but also abroad.
Media Workshops
Four media
workshop were organized in different regions of the country during 2005 in
order to inform, educate and brief more than 150 media persons about the new
and renewable energy, its various systems and devices. These media persons in turn would use this
information and background material while writing news stories, features and
articles on the subject and thereby help in bringing about Renewable Energy
revolution in the country. The media
workshops evoked an encouraging response from media houses and various stories
appeared on the subject especially in the vernacular press. This exercise is useful in creating mass
awareness at large in long run about various renewable sources of energy,
various benefits and their eco-friendly nature.
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PVR
(Release ID :23721)