West Bengal plans more floating solar projects to expand its renewable portfolio
The government of West Bengal is exploring opportunities to develop more floating solar power projects in the state to expand its renewable power portfolio.
The floating solar project does not require large tracts of land. In view of this feature, the government of West Bengal wants to develop more floating solar power projects in the state to increase its renewable power portfolio.
Sovandeb Chattopadhyay, the state power minister recently stated that the government of West Bengal is very keen to develop more floating solar projects in the state. In the context, the state government is exploring the opportunity to develop a 5 MW floating solar power project in the large pond which is located in the Bandel Thermal Power Plant area, he added.
The State Power Minister further informed that West Bengal is currently developing the country’s largest grid-connected floating solar power project at a cost of INR 22 crore at the Sagardighi Thermal Power Plant located in Murshidabad district.
He pointed out that looking at this ongoing project at Sagardighi, we are looking for more such locations, especially in the thermal power plant area of the West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL), where we can set up a floating solar power project.
In this regard, we also see a lot of scope at the Bandel Thermal Power Unit in Hooghly District, where we can put up a big floating solar power project of about 5 MW or more. Apart from this Bakeshwar Thermal Power Plant area of WBPDCL in Bankura is another site where there is scope for us to develop this kind of project, he added.
Renewable Growth in WB
State Power Minister stated that West Bengal is working on increasing its renewable energy portfolio and in this context, the state government has taken many steps so as to increase the power generation from non-conventional power sources in the state.
He pointed that when he took over the office of the state power ministry, the solar capacity of the state was a mere 2 MW, which has now increased to 130 MW.
Adding further, he also talked about the 200 MW solar power project that is being developed in the East Midnapore district at a cost of INR 1200 crores. This project once commissioned will reduce around 500,000 tonnes of carbon emission, he added.
