Proposal for renewable energy unit awaits nod

Company to be floated with involvement of local bodies

A proposal for floating a company for optimum exploitation of non-conventional energy resources in the State is awaiting Cabinet clearance.

Once Kerala Renewable Energy Company Limited comes into being, the State government will go ahead with a number of projects for utilising the non-conventional energy sources, the Electricity Minister's office told The Hindu here.

This was in response to reports that Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah had expressed concern over the lack of enthusiasm of the State government in generating biomass power.

The joint venture company will be floated with the involvement of the 14 district panchayats and the five corporations.

The share capital structure of the company will be fixed optimally considering the credit requirements of the initial projects.

Stake in the company

It has been proposed that the Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT) and local self-government institutions have 50 per cent stake each in the new company.

The share capital contribution of the LSGIs in the company will be met from the Rs.7.62 crore they have deposited with ANERT for undertaking such projects. It has been proposed to hand over the decentralised energy and renewable energy projects entrusted with ANERT and the LSGIs to the new company.

The proposal is expected to be cleared soon.

ANERT proposals

ANERT has prepared 14 proposals for biomass gasifier and co-generation with a capacity of 20.61 MW with the support of World Institute of Sustainable Energy and the Energy Resources Institute.

Fourteen micro hydel sites with a total capacity of 1.22 MW have been identified at Peravoor in Kannur district. These projects will be implemented in a cluster mode. Along with this, a biomass based co-generation plant of 1.22 MW has been proposed to be implemented jointly by ANERT, Kannur district panchayat and the Peravoor block panchayat.

It has been proposed to establish a centre for capacity building in new and renewable energy and conservation. The centre will have laboratories for biomass, solar and small hydro energy and energy audit.

Steps have been taken for establishing a model residential polytechnic at Kuzhalmannam in Palakkad where 60 per cent of the seats will be reserved for Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

The infrastructure for the polytechnic will be established under the SC/ST pooled fund.