Power through co-generation for full season now

Sugar mills can produce power through the process of co-generation during off-season also.

Since the availability of cane is for a limited period, the Uttarakhand government has now explored new options under which the co-generation process can produce power from natural waste and other sources throughout the year.

After receiving 9 expressions of interest (EoIs), the government is now finalising the bidding process for co-generation from two of its sugar mills – Kitchha and Baajpur. Some top companies like Dhampur, Uttam Sugar mill, India Glycol, Perry are participating in the bidding process.

Faced with acute power shortage, the government chalked out a plan to produce power by co-generation under the public- private-partnership (PPP) mode. Both the sugar mills are expected to generate 20 Mw of power. There are 10 sugar mills in the state with 6 of them in the government sector.

“Our main task is to produce electricity which would help us in tiding over the shortage considerably,” said Principal Secretary Sugarcane Amrendra Sinha. This would not only augment the state’s grid but would also help captive generation.

Under the new plan, the co-generation would be from bagasse for only four months from December to March. But during the off-season, the fire material would be different. During April-May, the government would use wheat-husk. In June-July, the pine needles, which are found in large number in the Himalayan region, would be utilised. In August-September, the government would use eucalyptus trees and in October-November, the rice-husk can be used. “In this way, our sugar mills can run for the full season which would be the main attraction for the companies participating in the bidding process,” said Sinha.

Among the private sugar mills, Luxor sugar mill is already producing power by co-generation and Uttam Sugar Mill is under the process to produce 20-22 Mw power.

Currently, the power shortage in Uttarakhand is growing by 10 to 15 per cent every year mainly due to the industrialisation.