The New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) is preparing to install 200 and odd solar energy-powered agricultural pump-sets in Uganda in the coming months on a pilot basis upon an invitation from the International Solar Alliance (ISA). The project will be first grounded in Uganda and later expanded to other East African countries. Besides, it is establishing a 160 MW hybrid solar-wind energy generation-cum-storage park at Ramagiri in Anantapur district in what another big leap towards bringing the tariffs further down. The solar power tariff fell to ₹2.70 per unit in respect of the 750 MW solar project being taken up in the Kadapa ultra mega solar park.
Mega project
The Ramagiri project will have 120 MW of solar and 40 MW of wind energy generation with a 20 MW-hour storage facility, according to NREDCAP Vice-Chairman and Managing Director M. Kamalakar Babu. Speaking to The Hindu , he said a total of 31,575 solar pump-sets have been installed till date under the NTR Jalasiri programme and the process of installing another 25,000 was set in motion.
In addition to that, a pilot project of 250 5 HP grid-connected solar photovoltaic powered brushless direct current pumps was implemented in Vizianagaram district as part of energy-efficiency programme.
These devices are 40% more efficient than the conventional ones run on alternating current. The solar-wind hybrid park which is coming up in 1,000 acres at Ramagiri is being partly funded by the World Bank.
On solar and wind capacities, Mr. Babu said the combined renewable energy generation has increased from 1000 MW in 2014 to 7500 MW. The target was to increase it to 10,000 MW by 2018-19 and 18,000 MW by 2021-22 which helps in reducing carbon emissions by 2.52 crore tonnes. The cumulative wind power installed capacity as on October 31 stood at approximately 4,010 MW and solar at nearly 2,541 MW. Another project that the NREDCAP has embarked on was the waste-to-energy (WtE) plants. Letters of intent were issued and tariff-based bidding conducted for an aggregate WtE capacity of 64 MW in Visakhapatnam, Guntur, Tirupati, Tadepalligudem, Kadapa, Anantapur, Nellore and Rajahmundry.
