MOU for solar energy

23 September - The Haryana Renewable Energy DevelopmentAgency(HAREDA) will sign Memorandums of Understanding with 6Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to generate 12 MW power from SolarEnergy on 24rd September, 2008. These MoUs will be signed in presenceof Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Giving this information an official spokesman of HAREDA said thatSmt. Sumita Misra, director, HAREDA will sign these MoUs on behalf ofHAREDA. The spokesman further said that the MOUs will be signed withM/s R.S.India Wind Energy Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi and M/s EstonfieldRenewable Resources Pvt. Ltd., Kolkatta each for setting up solarpower projects of 3 MW capacity, with M/s Epuron Renewable Energy Pvt.Ltd., New Delhi and M/s Azure Power India, New Delhi each for settingup solar power projects of 2 MW capacity. In addition to these, MoUswill also be signed with M/s Omax Auto Ltd., Gurgaon and M/s SelectoSystems Pvt. Ltd., Faridabad each for setting up solar power projectsof 1 MW capacity as a special case as these projects being the rooftopprojects do not require any purchase of land, can be commissioned inshorter span of time and can be showcased for replication in otherindustries. These projects shall be set up by these power developersbefore December, 2009 with a total investment of approximately Rs.240.00 crores. The spokesman informed that Haryana is one of the first few States inthe country to have taken the initiative to set up Solar Energy basedpower projects in Mega Watt scale.. HAREDA had invited proposals fromIPPs for setting up solar power projects in the State under theMinistry of New & Renewable Energy, Govt of India tariff subsidyscheme. HAREDA had received tremendous response from the privatedevelopers to set up solar power projects in the State. The powerproduced from these projects will be fed to the State Grid for whichthe Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission has already issued thetariff order for purchase of power from Solar PV Projects. This powershall be purchased by the State Utilities @ Rs. 15.96 per unit, out ofwhich Rs. 12/- per unit shall be provided by the Ministry of New &Renewable Energy, Govt. of India as generation based incentives underits Grid Interactive Solar PV Generation Programme. The spokesman inforrmed that the solar radiation level in the Stateis in the range of 5.5 KWH to 6.5 KWH per square meter of area and theState has about 320 clear sunny days in a year. This offers a greatpotential for using solar energy for various thermal and electricalenergy applications in the State. But, the potential available fromsolar energy is yet to be harnessed in MW scale in the country.