Gridco to buy 4.5% power from green sources in FY 17

Solar energy to account for 1.5% while the remaining 3% would be obtained from non-solar sources

State owned bulk power purchaser Gridco Ltd would buy 4.5 per cent of its total power requirement from green energy sources in 2016-17.

Out of 4.5 per cent of the power to be procured from renewable sources, solar energy would account for 1.5 per cent while the rest three per cent would be obtained from non-solar sources, energy minister Pranab Prakash Das informed the state legislative assembly in a written reply.

In the last fiscal, Gridco had procured three per cent of its overall power from green energy sources. Under an order of the state power regulator- Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), all obligated power procurement agencies including Gridco are mandated to buy a certain proportion of the power from renewable sources.

By 2019-20, Gridco needs to buy 11 per cent of its power from green energy sources including solar and non-solar sources.

The state government has inked memorandum of understanding (MoU) for solar power capacity of 138 Mw. Similarly, for small hydro projects, MoUs have been signed for capacity totaling to 112.5 Mw.

In a bid to harness the non conventional sources of energy, Odisha plans to develop land-based solar projects at the grid substations.

"Gridco, the state run bulk power purchaser has offered surplus unused lands at the eight grid substations for development of solar projects. The areas offered are located in Koraput, Bolangir and Baripada", said a source.

On these lands, 16.4 Mw solar projects can be developed. Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd (Gedcol), the nodal body of the state government to generate renewable energy has been entrusted to finalized the detailed project report (DPR), he added.

The cost of development is likely to be Rs 6.5 crore per Mw.

This year, the state power regulator Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has allowed Rs 30 crore in the annual revenue requirement (ARR) of bulk power purchaser Gridco for 2016-17 exclusively towards purchase of additional quantum of renewable energy.

Odisha receives an average solar radiation of 5.5k Wh/sqm area with around 300 clear sunny days every year. National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) has estimated solar power potential of the state at 25,780 mwp2.