Assam CM lays base for 25-Mw solar power plant at Namrup

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 14, 2024

Assam chief minister Himanata Biswa Sarma on Friday laid the foundation stone for a 25-MW capacity solar power generation project at the premises of the Namrup Thermal Power Station in Dibrugarh district.

A joint venture collaboration between the Assam Power Generation Corporation and Oil India Limited, the project will be spread across 108 acres of land and is likely to cost Rs 115 crores in project cost. The solar project, approved by the state cabinet on August 19, 2022, is projected to produce 50 million units of electricity every year and its construction is expected to be completed by July 2025.

Speaking at a public meeting at Namrup that was held in connection with the foundation stone laying ceremony, Sarma said when he was sworn in as chief minister in 2021, the peak-hour demand for electricity in the state stood at 1800 Mw but the same has now increased to 2500 Mw owing to the increased number of industries and electrification of unelectrified villages across the state.

The state, on its own produces a mere 419 MW of power resulting in the purchase of around 2100 MW of power daily, he said. Initiatives such as the solar power project at Namrup will augment the State’s power generation capacity and will contribute greatly towards reducing reliance on power purchased from outside the state, he added.

Stating that to date, a total of seven solar power projects are functional in the state, Sarma said these account for 175 MW of daily power generation. He further added that the upcoming power plants in Sonitpur district’s Barchalla and Dhubri district’s Khudigaon are at various stages of development and that the construction of a 1,000-Mw capacity solar power plant at Karbi Anglong will begin shortly.

The 120-Mw Lower Kapili Hydropower project, on the other hand, has started yielding electricity, the chief minister said, exuding confidence the State will be able to produce around 3,000-Mw of solar-generated electricity by 2030.

Referring to the Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana that was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the chief minister appealed to the eligible households of the state to opt for it to bring down their power consumption expenses.

The event was also attended by ministers Bimal Bora, Sanjoy Kishan, former Union minister Rameswar Teli, MLAs Prashanta Phukan, Taranga Gogoi, Terash Gowalla, Binod Hazarika, Chakradhar Gogoi, along with a host of dignitaries.