Assam to generate 335 MW of renewable power by 2026

GUWAHATI: With several solar projects in the pipeline, Assam is looking towards generating 335 MW of green or renewable energy by the end of 2026. The Assam government has been giving importance to renewable sources of energy to tide over its shortfall in catering to the demand for electrical power and is now gearing up to bridge the gap by generating around 50% of the total demand through solar power projects. It is estimated that 335 MW of electrical power will be generated through the solar power projects that are currently being set up across the state.

Projects that are in the pipeline include the 70-MW Sonbeel Floating Solar Power Project, expected to be completed by February 2025; the 100-MW Golaghat Ground-Mounted & Floating Solar Power Project with the deadline of 2026; the 25-MW Namrup Solar Power Project, expected to be operational by December 2024; the 100-MW Batadrava Agri-Voltaic Power Project, set to be completed by November 2025; and the 100-MW Tezpur Agri-Voltaic Power Project, which is expected to be operational by April 2026.

An agrivoltaic solar power system involves the simultaneous use of areas of land for both solar panels and agriculture.

On completion of the above-mentioned renewable electric power projects, the state government expects that it will be able to generate enough power to partially meet the electrical power needs of the people in the state. Moreover, as the electrical power will be generated from solar power plants, there will be no negative effects on the environment. Apart from hydroelectric power plants, Assam has to rely on thermal power plants, which burn fossil fuels and have a negative effect on the environment, which is why the Assam government is now implementing the solar power projects.

It should be mentioned here that the Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL) has an installed power generation capacity of 420 MW, but it is only able to generate 233-289 MW at present.

The power generation plants of APGCL are: the 100-MW Karbi Langpi Hydro Electric Project (KLHEP) located in the Karbi Anglong district; the 14-MW Myntriang Small Hydro Electric Project (MSHEP) in West Karbi Anglong district; the 139-MW Namrup Thermal Power Station & Namrup Replacement Thermal Power Plant (NTPS & NRPP) in Namrup; and the 167 MW Lakwa Thermal Power Station (LTPS) & Lakwa Replacement Power Project (LRPP) at Maibella in Lakwa of Sivasagar district.At present, the total power demand in Assam is estimated to be 2200 MW. With a total power generation capacity at present limited to around 250 MW on average, around 1950 MW of power has to be purchased by the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) from outside sources.

However, APDCL recorded a maximum gross demand of 2576 MW on September 15, 2023.

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