World Bank keen to be part of the National Solar Mission

Kolkata: Solar lighting systems developed by Bhaskar Solar are on display at the 23rd Industrial India Trade Fare in Kolkata on Monday. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) being the nodal Ministry of the Government of India at the National level for all matters relating to new and renewable energy such as solar, wind, biomass, small hydro, hydrogen, geothermal etc., during the year 2009, continued its endeavor to promote renewable energy technologies and increase the contribution of renewable energy in the total energy mix in the years to come. The Government has launched a Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission. This Mission is one of the eight key National Missions, which comprise India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change. It has twin objective – to contribute to India’s long-term energy security as well as its ecological security. The Solar Mission recommends a three-stage implementation leading up to an installed capacity of 20,000 MW by the end of the 13th Five Year Plan in 2022. Installation of 50 Kw solar power plant and 100 street lights with full support from the Ministry completed in Rashtrapati Bhawan and inaugurated by the President on 25th July, 2009. The first megawatt scale capacity grid-interactive Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant of the country has been setup in Asansol district of West Bengal by West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation. India’s largest Solar Steam Cooking System has been set up in the New Prasadalaya building of Shirdi Saibaba Temple Complex which cooks food for about 17,000 persons per day. In-principle approval has been given to 30 Cities for developing as ‘Solar Cities’ in the country out of which sanctions have been issued for 12 Cities for which the Master Plan is under preparation. The Solar City aims at minimum 10% deduction in projected demand of conventional energy through a combination of energy efficiency measures and enhancing supply from renewable energy sources. 512 remote boarder villages in Arun

The World Bank on Wednesday said it is discussing with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy the prospect of executing solar power projects in the country as part of the National Solar Mission.

“We are in discussion with MNRE in order to be a part of the National Solar Mission,” Salman Zaheer, Sector Manager, Energy Sustainable Development Department, South Asia Region, told reporters here.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is the nodal agency for the government’s ambitious National Solar Mission, aimed at generating 20,000 MW of solar power by 2020.

It would include research and development to reduce the cost and improve the overall generation of solar power.

Mr. Zaheer said the Bank is keen on providing end—to—end solutions for the solar power projects.

The World Bank is aiming to create a knowledge platform for spreading awareness about the benefits of solar energy. It is planning to take up few pilot projects and would arrange finances for the interested parties.

“We would experiment by taking a few sites, conducting studies and preparing project reports which can be tendered. Invite bids and then they (companies) can be handed over the projects for their development,” Mr. Zaheer said.

The World Bank lent $ 3.3 billion (about Rs 33,000 crore) to the power sector in the country in the year 2009.