Centre aims to develop Odisha as a major hub for renewable energy: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi
Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi on Friday said that the Centre is planning to develop Odisha as a major hub for renewable energy and explore the scope of green hydrogen production in the state.
The Union Minister spoke thus while addressing the valedictory session of the two-day Chintan Shivir organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) here.
“Odisha has immense renewable energy potential, with 140 GW of solar capacity and significant opportunities in green hydrogen, owing to its long coastline and port infrastructure. The Centre aims to develop Odisha as a major hub for renewable energy and explore the scope of green hydrogen production in the state. The potential for floating solar panels in Odisha will also be explored,” noted Joshi.
The Union Minister also informed that an agency has begun the work for setting up a 6,000 MW manufacturing capacity for the production of solar modules, solar cells & ingot-wafer with an expected investment of around Rs 9,000 crore at Dhenkanal district of the state.
He also said that another agency is setting up 1,000 MW manufacturing capacity for the production of solar modules & cells, at Infovalley-II, in Bhubaneswar with an expected investment of around Rs 730 crore.
During his address, Joshi also announced that a dedicated task force with all stakeholders will be set up by the MNRE in collaboration with the Ministry of Power to achieve the goal of 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.
The Union Minister emphasised the need to install 288 GW of renewable energy capacity over the next six years, requiring a substantial investment of Rs 42 lakh crore, including transmission infrastructure.
This requires all stakeholders to work together to solve the various challenges in the RE sector, he said.
He highlighted that the two-day event brought together 117 industry leaders and 67 representatives from different states and PSUs, with participation from 12 major renewable energy-producing states. He reiterated India’s commitment to the ‘Panchamrit’ goals announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, emphasising the 2030 target of 500 GW of renewable energy capacity.
The Minister also said that MNRE will organise hackathons for startups in the RE sector. A new joint centre of excellence for R&D will also be established in collaboration with the Ministry of Power to foster innovation and technological advancements in the RE sector. The Minister called for the early finalisation of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and strict enforcement of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) to ensure the success of renewable energy projects.
Notably, as many as 17 sessions encompassing a range of critical topics such as solar and wind energy deployment, green hydrogen, energy storage, land evacuation and transmission planning and policy development, were held during the two-day Chintan Shivir to achieve the target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy by 2030.
