With a view to tapping the non-conventional energy potential, the State government will set up a wind farm in association with NTPC for generating 200 MW of power.
Finance Minister K.M. Mani, in his budget for 2013-14, said a wind farm with a capacity of 22 MW would be set up at Kanjikode. Solar plants will be set up in the vicinity of substations and power houses for generating 60 MW of power. A plant will be set up for recycling used CFL bulbs. Energy parks will be set up for creating awareness of non-conventional energy sources and assembling and repairing energy conservation equipment.
Two 220-kV substations, ten 110-kV substations, two 66-kV substations, and seven 33-kV substations will be put up for improving the transmission network of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). In order to strengthen the distribution sector, projects worth Rs.800 crore have been envisaged. These include Central government schemes also. The ongoing work on 14 hydroelectric projects with a capacity of 179.85 MW will be completed during the financial year.
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Preliminary work on the Bhoothathankettu, Chathankotta, Kallar, Aripara, Valanthodu, Marippuzha,Thoniyar, and Thomman Kuthu projects will be taken up. A number of schemes, such as a 1,026-MW gas-based project of the KSEB at Brahmapuram, 1,200-MW joint venture of the KSEB and Petronet at Puthuvypeen, and a joint venture of the KSEB and the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) at Cheemeni for generating 1,200 MW, are being considered. It has been planned to generate an additional 1,050 MW at the Kayamkulam NTPC unit after converting the naphtha units there into natural gas units. A 550-MW power plant has been planned in Kochi using the pet coke from BPCL.
A smart grid, pre-paid meters, and an automated metering system will be introduced. An innovation unit will be set up in the KSEB using the innovation fund, he said.