Greentech Lead Asia: Reliance
Energy has started power generation at its 40 MW plant in Rajasthan, India.
The event was attended by Union new and renewable energy
minister Farooq Abdullah, state chief minister Ashok Gehlot, State energy
minister Jitendra Singh and Reliance chairman and managing director Anil
Ambani.
Reliance Energy built the plant at an estimated cost of Rs
400 crore on 140 hectares of land. The plant will generate 720 lakh units of
power.
In two years, Reliance would set up a solar energy plant of
300MW on which Rs 6,000 crore would be spent, according to Relaince CMD Anil
Ambani.
“A lot of work is going on in the country in the power
generation sector especially in taking up multi-faceted efforts to provide
solar energy which in turn would strengthen the Indian economy. Rajasthan is
ideal in regard to the solar energy and this state would provide electricity to
the entire country by setting up a large number of solar plants,” Abdullah
said.
India has set target to produce 20,000 MW of solar energy by
2022. At present 90 per cent of power generation fund is spent on coal, petrol,
diesel and other natural gas. In such situation, if solar and wind energy is
used then every village a new dimension would be added to this sector.
Ashok Gehlot said the state’s solar energy policy has been
made incorporate more investments and provisions have been made for many
relaxations to the investors. Rs 10,000 crore is being invested in this field
and there is expectation of Rs 6,000 crore more.
Rajasthan is a leader in energy sector and the chief
minister has made a provision of Rs 12,500 crore in this sector. A large number
of grids is being set up for solar power in the state and by next month
Suratgarh and Chabra plants will start functioning, 16,500 investors have come
forward to invest in solar energy in the state.