Bengal to get 10 renewable energy projects by 2009

Kolkata: Ten renewable energy projects with a composite capacity of 100MW are likely to be commissioned in West Bengal by the end of 2009, said SP Gon Chaudhuri, director of West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA).

Among these ten projects includes the proposal to set up a 50MW wind park project and a solar park with a capacity of 26MW.

'The wind power park is to be set up in Dadanpatra in East Midnapore district at an investment of Rs 300 crore. Out of the composite capaciy of 50MW, Suzlon will be contributing 40MW and the rest will come from other players. The project requires 700 acres of land which has already been identified', Gon Chaudhuri said on the sidelines of a workshop on Grid Connected Renewable Energy and Cogeneration/Independent Power organised by the United States Energy Association (USEA).

The solar park to be set up in Purulia by 2010 will have capacity of 26MW.

Gon Chadhuri said private players like Reliance Power and US-based Azure Solar Power were keen on setting up solar power plants near Purulia.

The balance 24MW of green energy would come from other renewable energy sources like micro hydel power, biomass and municipal solid waste.

Gon Chaudhuri said WBREDA was in talks with IL&FS Infrastructure Development Corporation (IL&FS IDC) for undertaking municipal solid waste projects but did not share details.

The overall renewable energy potential in West Bengal was estimated at around 10,000MW while installed capacity of renewable energy in the state was 76MW, with solar power contributing 7MW.

Nationwide, the installed capacity of renewable energy was 8,000MW and it was expected to reach 20,000MW by 2012.