The government plans to achieve self-reliance in power generation in a phased manner, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Tapping the potential of solar power with people’s participation was the need of the hour, he added
Mr. Vijayan was dedicating a 6 MW hydroelectric project at Perunthenaruvi at Vechoochira, near Ranni, on Monday afternoon.
He said there was no need to set up a big company for exploiting the State’s solar power potential. Each family could become a solar power producer by setting up small solar units atop their residential buildings, he said.
Making installation of solar power units atop houses and other buildings, with a prescribed plinth area and above, mandatory would be beneficial for both the building owners and the State, he said. However, homes of the poor should be excluded from this, he said.
Thermal plants
The Chief Minister said Kerala required thermal power plants too, adding that the rising price of naphtha had led to the closure of thermal power plants in the State.
Mr. Vijayan said the government was in negotiations with the National Thermal Power Corporation on running the Kayamkulam Thermal Power Plant with LNG. Reaching LNG from Kochi would not be that difficult and the government had apprised the NTPC chairman of the State’s proposal to start power generation at the Kayamkulam plant using LNG, he said. He said the State could consider setting up similar thermal power plants with LNG as fuel.
M.M. Mani, Electricity Minister, presided over the function. Raju Abraham, MLA; R.Girija, District Collector; K.Elangovan, Kerala State Electricity Board Chairman; S.Rajeev and N.Venugopal, KSEB directors, spoke.
