Call for non-conventional energy sources

Chennai, June 22 (UNI) To meet the ever increasing needs of energy and minimise harmful environmental impact in the process of energy generation, the country should switch over to alternative means of energy, an official feel.

Speaking at a seminar on 'Power sector and the environment: Opportunities and options' here today, the panel highlighted the merits of adopting the non-conventional means of energy in minimising the cost of production and nefarious impacts on the environment by way of carbon emission.

Principal Secretary to Energy Department, Tamil Nadu R Satapthy said with chances of switching over to non-Conventional energy seeming bleak and the lack of infrastructural development in this regard, the efficacious option would be the maximum use of coal as a main stream energy generiser.

The guiding moto in this phase of shortage of non-renewable energy sources must be one of 'less coal more energy.' To achieve optimum power generation in power plants, Super Critical Boilers should be set up-as they generate more energy and consume less coal.

Tamil Nadu Energy Development Authority Managing Director A Elangovan said there was a complete tilt in the eco-system due to unbridled carbon emission. To tide over an environmental break-down due to green house gas effects, we must switch over to wind, geo-thermal, tidal and solar energy methods.

Stating that Tamil Nadu was way ahead with a 22 per cent dependence on alternative energy sources than the national average of seven per cent, he said there should be effective measures to reduce loss of energy in the course of transmission and distribution.

Department of Environment Director K S Neelakandan said nuclear energy would ultimately become a boon to the energy needs. But it would be catastrophic in the event of any technical failure.

Allaying apprehensions over the negative impacts of ethanol production from food grains with chances of worsening the slump in the food grain production, he said food grain unfit for human consumption alone would be used and that agriclutural land would not be acquired for setting up such units. Conversion of marginal and waste land would be a viable solution, he added.

UNI