Reliance keen to tap renewable energy in Punjab

Chandigarh, Feb 19 (UNI) Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) today evinced keen interest to tap the renewable energy in Punjab and offered to make huge investment in this sector saying the state had a tremendous potential in non-conventional sources of energy which could be optimally utilised to further augment power generation.

An assurance to this effect was given by the delegation led by Group President of Corporate Affairs RIL Dr. A.Shankar to the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in a meeting at Kapurthala House, New Delhi this afternoon.

Dr. Shankar requested the Chief Minister to enhance the subsidy component for the installation of projects based on non-conventional sources of energy in the state.

He said that RIL had a proven track of expertise and technology in the field of renewable energy and they had deliberately chosen Punjab as their investment destination because it had an investor-friendly climate coupled with pro-investor policies.

Taking part in the deliberations, Mr. Badal also asked Dr.Shankar to explore the potential in the wind energy in Punjab. He reiterated his firm commitment to make Punjab as a power surplus state by adding 6000 MW within next three years.

He assured fulsome support and cooperation to the RIL for setting up their ventures in the renewable energy. He also said that he would soon take up the matter with the Ministry of Renewable and Non-conventional Energy for the reviving the subsidy on the solar water pumping sets which had been discontinued by the Centre from the past few years.

Science Technology, Environment and Non-conventional Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said that renewable energy in any form of either solar or wind was far more cost effective as well as environmentally non hazardous as compared to thermal, hydro and bio-mass.

UNI JN BK1602