Assam awaits pvt fund for power generation

Guwahati, Jun 3 (UNI) Reeling under perennial power shortage, the Assam government has decided to welcome private investment in conventional and non-conventional power generation projects to attain self-sufficiency.

State Power Minister Mr Pradyut Bardoloi today informed that the power generation sector was now absolutely open for " private or any other sort of investment" in both conventional and non-conventional power generation projects with a preference for thermal power.

A West Bengal based private company, Amrit Biogas, has been given the go-ahead signal to set up a 16 MW non-conventional power project in the state. The company will use rice husk and bamboo dust as raw material for power generation. The project will be set up at Sonapur near here, Mr Bardoloi said.

As on date state-owned Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) generates only 100 MW thermal powers from its two plants at Namrup and Lakwa as against the peak hour demand of about 800 MW making the state heavily dependent on power imported from outside.

" Now we have to depend heavily on imported hydel power." Severe power crisis hits the state during the lean season from November to May when the water reservoirs in hydel power plants go dry, the minister said.

The state government has in principle decided to set up or revive a few power generation projects with total estimated installed capacity of 1630 MW and is more than eager to welcome private fund for these projects.

The government has decided to set up a Rural Electrification Mission to energise over 6000 hitherto non-electrified villages in the state. Initially, the mission will take over whatever rural electrification infrastructure the ASEB has set up so far.

Non-conevntional sources of energy like biomass gas, solar and wind would be tapped to light up over 2000 remote and inaccessible hamlets in the state.

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