The Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is working towards promoting energy plantations in the wastelands of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh to give a boost through biomass units.
The MNRE Secretary Deepak Gupta held a meeting of energy plantation owners, power developers and bank officials from southern districts here on Tuesday to discuss various issues including access to finance.
Energy plantation is growing a select species of trees and shrubs which are harvestable in a comparably shorter time and grown specifically for fuel.
Speaking to The Hindu , he said that several new fast growing species were now available, which could produce ample fuel for biomass units. Apart from helping produce power, the plants also convert barren land into green. “The prospects are good in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. And we are here (in this meeting) to try and find out what is needed,” he said.
New species
Addressing the meeting, he said that a new variety – Melia dubia (‘Malai Vembu' in Tamil) – would produce 100 tonnes per acre within three years while other crops such as Julia Flora was likely to give only 10 tonnes in three years.
The participants raised the issue of difficulties in obtaining financial assistance from banks for energy plantations. The MNRE Secretary suggested that they approach National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) to obtain clearance for financial assistance from banks. He also suggested that energy plantation owners themselves set up biomass power plants, for which could avail subsidy upto Rs. 20 lakh per megawatt.
According to sources, during a meeting of standing committee of TEDA on February 15, seven new biomass projects were approved for the State. They were going to be established by private power developers at Krishnagiri (10 MW), Dindigul (7.5 MW), Karur (10 MW), Ramanathapuram (7.5 MW), Cuddalore (10 MW), Nagapattinam (7.5 MW) and Villupuram (10 MW)
N.P. Singh, Advisor to MNRE, D.K. Khare, MNRE Director, P. Renganathan, Chief General Manager, NABARD, Mumbai, S. Venkatesam, chairman and managing director, Energy Plantation Projects India Private, S.E.S. Syed Ahamed, Deputy General Manager, Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA), Madurai Region, P.R. Muralidharan, TEDA Deputy General Manger, Chennai Region, also took part in the meeting.
