Haryana to promote biomass power projects

Chandigarh, Oct 30 (UNI) The Haryana government has decided to promote biomass power projects in a big way for captive use through gasification technology.

This was stated by Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary (Renewable Energy) S C Choudhary while presiding over the Board of Governors meeting of Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) here today.

Mr Choudhary said that besides promoting biomass, small hydro and wind power projects in MW scale for feeding the power to the grid, special emphasis was also being laid for motivating the industries to use biomass gasification technology to meet their thermal and electrical requirement by using locally available biomass.

He said three such units of 1100 KW capacity had been set up in the state during the current financial year and three such units having a total 1200 KW capacity were also under installation.

He said this technology would be helpful for the rural industries in replacing the costly diesel and furnace oil being used for their thermal and electrical requirements.

He said capital subsidy at the rate of Rs 2.5 lakh per 100 KW for electrical application and Rs 2.00 lakh per 300 KW for thermal application was also being provided to the beneficiaries in the state.

HAREDA Director Sumita Misra said with a view to promoting the use of solar water heating systems, HAREDA was providing 90 per cent grant for setting up of solar water heating systems for socially oriented sector like Shishu Niketan, Working Women Hostels, Orphanages, Oldage Homes and Institutes working for the welfare of the Scheduled Castes.

She said a grant of Rs 1.50 crore had been earmarked for this project during the current financial year and the scheme had got good response from the user institutes. Large number of proposals have been received and were process for installation of systems.

UNI