Punjab govt moots outsourcing biomass power sector

Chandigarh, June 6 (UNI) The Punjab Government has mooted a proposal for outsourcing the biomass power sector, with an overall potential of 1000 MWs in a phased manner.

Several global leaders in the field had already approached the state government for setting up biomass projects. The government is likely to opt for early technical and financial bids to select one or several groups to invest in the state.

One of the prominent companies, MPPL Renewable Energy Pvt Ltd made a presentation before Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today.

The company has expressed its willingness to take on almost the entire network of the proposed bio-mass projects in the state as it had a proven track of time tested technology in this field and was successfully running about dozen projects in Karnataka.

It may be recalled that the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA), a nodal agency for the implementation of bio-mass projects had already conducted a survey in 40 tehsils. The survey for the remaining tehsils would also be carried out soon, to harness the optimum utilisation of power generation capacity from the bio-mass projects.

After getting a feedback bids would be offered for the chosen sites.

Mr Badal said that since Punjab had an abundant supply of bio-mass, all out efforts should be made to tap the unutilised power potential to an optimum level.

Earlier, Mr A K Lakhina, Chairman-cum-MD Rural Electrification of India called on the Chief Minister and discussed issues relating to the power sector, including 24 hour un-interrupted domestic power supply in the rural sector.

Mr Lakhina assured the CM to include the state government's proposal to supply domestic power to the 'dhanis' (clusters) under the rural electrification scheme. He also agreed to the proposal of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) to release Rs 30 crore for providing electric connections to 'uncovered' 1.5 lakh BPL households on priority basis.

Mr Badal also asked Mr Lakhina to clear the pending proposal to finance the Rs 1,987 crore Shahpur Kandi Hydel Dam Project.

UNI