Country should explore renewable energy source to meet the demand

Bangalore, Aug 14 (UNI) India's goal to enerise all homes by 2012 will remain a dream unless steps were not initiated to harness all available renewable energy sources besides tapping power through conventional route, an energy expert today said.

Speaking after releasing 'Mission 2022' a vision document brought out by the Indian Association of Energy Management Professionals (IAEMP) here, Karnataka Renewable Engergy Area Development Director B Shivalingaiah said that the country's power production had reached 124,000 mw from a mere 2000 mw at the time of independence sixty years ago. But this capacity need to be doubled within the next five years as the demand was rising steeply.

"It is a great challenge before us, unless we transform the Vission into Mission we cannot achieve our goal of energising all the houses by 2012," he added.

Speaking against mega power projects that suffer due to environmental and other reasons he said through renewable energy, other than solar, the country could produce 100,000 mw of power. Cow dung cakes could be used in place of coal which is not only cost consuming but also leading to air pollution. Besides sugar factories could be encouraged to produce bio fuel ethnal, that could be used for running vehicles, thereby saving precious foreign exchange used for oil imports.

Central Power Research Institute Director P K Kaghnorkar, in his address, said that the Union government was making all efforts to make the country self sufficient in energy but there is need to accelerate efforts in achieving 'Energy Independence'.

IAEMP All India President S K Sood said that the mission was to achieve India's Energy Independence by the year 2022, that is 8 years before the deadline set by former President A P J Abdul Kalam in his Independence Day address to the nation last year.

UNI