10 MW solar PV project on Teesta Canal Bank commissioned

Kolkata: A 10 MW solar PV project has been commissioned on the Teesta Canal Bank of Bengal under the canal-top and canal bank projects, state Power minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay said.

He was speaking at a seminar titled "Energy Efficiency for a Sustainable Future" organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) at a city hotel on Tuesday. This project is the first canal-bank project to be commissioned under the scheme. West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA) is setting up the Regional Energy Efficiency Centre (REEC) to promote and implement Energy Efficiency Programme and state-of-the art technology for developing mass awareness and promoting the object of energy efficiency appliances.

Chattopadhyay said that energy efficiency is one of the most important tools to avoid global warming. He also stressed on the financial support as the need of the hour to develop modern technologies and knowledge building.

During his speech, the minister mentioned that the electricity sector has been of great significance and the state government has already taken initiatives to increase the electricity access and has added nearly 80 lakh consumers over the past four years. The state has achieved 24X7 quality power supply to its villages.

It may be mentioned that the state Power department is contemplating on the use of energy efficient pumps in agriculture in various districts.

The state Power department has decided to tie up with the Centre so that the farmers can be helped through a new scheme. The main purpose of the new project is to help the farmers to procure pumps which are energy efficient.

Anil Razdan, former Secretary, Ministry of Power present in the programme stressed on the need for strong interactions between technocrats and financial managers of the companies with regard to long term benefit of energy efficient products. He further added that private investments need to come in to support this sector to flourish further. It may be mentioned that the state Power department has taken up a series of new initiatives to develop alternative energy resources. Initiatives have been taken to install solar panels on roof tops of various government buildings, schools and colleges. The state government has a plan to give power to the agriculture sector across the state through a dedicated line to ensure uninterrupted supply at a steady voltage.