February 14, 2015: Punjab’s dream of being a solar power state won’t be too far now. Big companies including Welspun Solar Punjab, Azure Urja , Madhav Solar , International Switchgears, Omega Solar Energy and Punj Llyod among others have joined hands with the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) to promote renewable energy in the state.
Punjab is looking to commission 200MW of solar power projects by March 2015 entailing a total investment of Rs 20 billion. Some other companies who have shown interest in the solar projects of the state are Essel Renewable Energy Limited, Essel Clean Energy Limited, PL Surya Urja Ltd, Abundant Energy Private Limited, Atma Powers Pvt Ltd, IK Powers Pvt Ltd, Nexgen Solar Pvt Ltd, TR Energy and Agro Private Limited, Moser Baer, Alliance Eco Power, Earth Solar Pvt Ltd, Focal Energy Solar India, Nokia Green Energy, Northstar Solar Pvt Ltd and Supreme Infrastructure India Ltd.
Non conventional energy minister, Punjab, Bikram Singh Majithia, has a strategy of a second phase of investment which will also be Rs 20 billion and will bring up projects of 387MW by March 2016.
According to reports, the Punjab government had undertaken an exercise to identify all the non-cultivable lands available in the state so that they can be put to good use by setting up solar power plants. Added to this, a report stating the setup of 100MW solar power plants on all major canals flowing through the state has also been submitted to the union government. The state government has been thinking about taking some highly useful steps for the overall power generation in Punjab. The stress has always been on clean and renewable energy which is cost-effective at the same time. A prominent example of this the fact that the Punjab Energy Development Agency had even prepared a proposal for exploring the mechanism by which power for agricultural use can be provided from solar photovoltaic pumps or power plants.
