Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of AP (NREDCAP) S. Ramana Reddy has said that Andhra Pradesh is the second highest producer of renewable energy in the country. It has achieved 28% production, which is much more than the target set by the Union government.
He was delivering the keynote address at ENERCON 2023, organised by CII on the theme: “Making Indian Industry Energy Efficient and World Class”, here on Wednesday.
Mr. Ramana Reddy said that a solar steam project was being set up at Tirumala for cooking meals. This would considerably reduce the usage of cooking gas for boiling of rice. The use of cooking gas cylinders could be reduced by 40, a day. The project was expected to commence in a year.
Pumped Storage Hydro Power Projects
He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative of One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG), was aimed at increasing the production of clean energy sources for a clean environment. The Government of AP was promoting Pumped Storage Hydro Power Projects to balance variable energy and meet peak demand.
Chairman and Managing Director of AP Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (AP EPDCL) Purdhvi Tej Immadi has said that the EPDCL is meeting 23% to 25% of its energy requirements from renewable energy sources and it will be increased further. The peak demand this year was 13,000 mw and EPDCL’s peak demand was growing at the rate of 13% compounded growth rate and 7% base growth rate. He said that the tariff given to the industry was less than the average cost of supply.
Smart meters
Mr. Prudhvi Tej said that investments in the renewable energy sector would be high but in the long run, they would give good returns. The transmission (2.7%) and distribution losses (7 to 8%), last year, in AP Transco were the lowest in the country. Measures were being taken to further bring down the distribution losses to 6%. He said that smart meters would be installed from next year in industries, commercial establishments and government offices to enhance energy audit capacities and curb power theft.
Earlier, V. Murali Krishna vice-chairman, CII, A.P., spoke on the importance of the industry in promoting zero emissions, energy efficiency and reduction of greenhouse gases. He said that Andhra Pradesh was in the forefront in promotion of electric vehicles.
CII Southern Gujarat Zone vice chairman Vishal S Budhia, Sunrise CSP India Private Ltd chairman Deepak Gadhia and Neeraj Sarda, immediate past chairman, CII, AP, spoke.
