The Central government has sanctioned the setting up of seven 1 megawatt solar power plants by private parties in Tamil Nadu, said Christu Das Gandhi, chairman and managing director of Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency here on Saturday.
He was here to discuss with rice mill owners the setting up of bio gasifiers to reduce burning of firewood and atmospheric pollution. He told presspersons the Central government has also called for proposals to set up 5 megawatt solar power plants in the state. Tamil Nadu is in the forefront with respect to wind energy. Solar power plants are already supplying 20 megawatt of power to the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) grid. As per the stipulation of the TNEB Regulatory Authority, 14 per cent of the energy should be produced using renewable energy sources. It is being done in the state.
There is a possibility of generating 500 megawatt of power using biomass. 150 megawatt is produced in the state using biomass.
Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency has decided to promote bio gasifiers in brick kilns, tanneries and rice mills to reduce fire wood consumption. ”Fire wood consumption in bio gasifier will be reduced to half and carbon emission will be ten per cent less”, Gandhi said. Tanneries in Salem and Namakkal, Dyeing units in Karur and Tirupur, rice mills in Thanjavur and Tiruvarur have been motivated to go for bio gasifiers. A bio gasifier hasbeen put up at Jeddarpalayam Jaggery unit. . A subsidy of Rs. 8 lakh is given by the Central government for installing bio gasifiers. Tamil Nadu Energy Agency will take up responsibility of securing ‘carbon credit' to those who install bio gasifiers. They will get some incentive for reducing carbon emission, Gandhi explained. Rice Mill owners of Thanjavur and Tiruvarur districts have shown interest in setting up the bio gasifier.
