Bhubaneswar, November 16 (IANS). Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said the Center is planning to develop Odisha as a major hub of renewable energy and explore the possibilities of green hydrogen production in the state.
The Union Minister said this while addressing the concluding session of a two-day thinking camp organized by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) in Bhubaneswar, Orissa.
Union Minister Pralhad Joshi said, “Odisha has immense potential for renewable energy, it has 140 GW of solar capacity and there is huge opportunity in green hydrogen due to its long coastline and ports.
The center aims to develop Odisha as a major hub of renewable energy and explore the possibilities of green hydrogen production in the state. “The possibilities of floating solar panels in Odisha will also be explored.”
The Union Minister also informed that an agency has started the work of setting up a manufacturing capacity of 6,000 MW for the production of solar modules, solar cells and ingot-wafers in Dhenkanal district of the state with an investment of about Rs 9,000 crore.
He said another agency is setting up a 1,000 MW manufacturing capacity for the production of solar modules and cells at Infovalley-II in Bhubaneswar with an investment of about Rs 730 crore.
During his address, Joshi announced that a task force with all stakeholders will be constituted by MNRE in collaboration with the Ministry of Power to achieve the target of 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030.
The Union Minister stressed the need to install 288 GW of renewable energy capacity in the next six years, which will require an investment of Rs 42 lakh crore, including transmission infrastructure.
He said that this requires all stakeholders to work together to address various challenges of the renewable energy sector.
He highlighted that the two-day event was attended by 117 industry leaders and 67 representatives from various State-PSUs, including participation from 12 major renewable energy producing states.
He reiterated India’s commitment to the ‘Panchamrit’ goals announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasizing the target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The Union Minister also said that MNRE will organize a hackathon for startups in the renewable energy sector. A new Joint Center of Excellence for Research and Development will also be set up in collaboration with the Ministry of Power to promote innovation and technological progress in the renewable energy sector.
The Union Minister called for early finalization of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and strict enforcement of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) to ensure the success of renewable energy projects.
–IANS
SKT/KR
