Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, while laying the foundation stone of SAEL's integrated solar cell and module manufacturing plant in Gautam Buddh Nagar (Jewar) on Saturday, said that renewable and green energy are the need of the hour and the State has set a target of generating 20,000 MW of renewable energy. The Jewar region in Uttar Pradesh will soon become India's solar manufacturing hub, and this will reduce dependence on China and other countries.
The CM said; "Under the PM Suryaghar Yojana, the electricity bills of 6 lakh families in the state have come down by up to 60 percent. This is proof of the growing strength of solar energy in Uttar Pradesh.”
The chief minister was addressing the gathering on Saturday after laying the foundation stone of SAEL's Rs 8,200 crore integrated solar manufacturing plant in Jewar.
While speaking at the occasion, he added that SAEL will play a major role in building a Viksit Uttar Pradesh. "I am confident that we will soon develop Uttar Pradesh as a solar manufacturing hub. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Modi, India has established a new and strong identity in the world over the past 12 years. People are witnessing India emerge as the fastest-growing economy. Our target is to generate 20,000 MW of renewable energy in Uttar Pradesh over the next two to three years," he said.
The chief minister noted, "Modi ji inspired countries across the world to work towards a pollution-free environment. He adopted an aggressive strategy for renewable and green energy. As a result, more than 6 lakh families in a state like Uttar Pradesh are achieving energy self-reliance by installing solar panels under the PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana. Today, Uttar Pradesh is generating more than 2,000 MW of electricity through solar panels."
"Our plan is to achieve the target of 20,000 MW of renewable energy in Uttar Pradesh within the next two to three years. At present, we are generating up to 6,000 MW of renewable energy. Besides solar, crop residue is also a source of green energy. Farmers should not burn crop residue and cause pollution. Instead, they should supply it to CBG plants, where it can be converted into CNG, compressed biogas and ethanol. This will also provide farmers with additional income," the UP CM said adding that after the implementation of the Ethanol Blending Policy, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as the state with the highest ethanol production.
"This has made our sugar industry self-reliant. Around a decade ago, farmers were struggling with despair and disappointment. Over the past nine years, we have made sugarcane price payments of Rs 3.22 lakh crore to them. We are producing both sugar and ethanol from sugarcane. Nearly 55 percent of the country's ethanol production is contributed by Uttar Pradesh alone. The highest number of CBG plants are also located in Uttar Pradesh. Our target is to establish 100 CBG plants within the next one year," CM Yogi stated.
"SAEL has taken forward the solar manufacturing programme with new technology. The plant aims to develop a manufacturing capacity of 5 GW of solar cells and 5 GW of solar modules. As a solar manufacturing hub, it will play a major role in enhancing India's export capacity. The technology for which we had to depend on China and other countries until now will now be developed here in Jewar itself. Through this, thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities will also be created. Along with MSMEs, logistics and ancillary industries, engineers and technicians will also get opportunities to work in a new field. Through this, the youth of Uttar Pradesh will also get the opportunity to lead the green economy," he observed.
The Chief Minister remarked, "Just now, we laid the foundation stone of a new electronics manufacturing unit, which is being developed jointly by India's Amber Group and Korea Circuits. A Film City and an Apparel City are also coming up here. World-class universities are also being established. A Toy Park is also going to be developed. This region is set to emerge as India's largest logistics hub. We have to take Prime Minister Modi ji's vision forward in the most effective manner."
On this occasion, Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta 'Nandi', Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, SAEL Director Sukhbir Singh, SAEL CEO and Executive Director Lakshit Awla, SAEL Founder and Managing Director Jasvir Singh, senior officials of YEIDA and other departments, along with other distinguished guests, were also present.
According to SAEL, the project will create 20,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. It will also accelerate the regional economy through industrial activity, ancillary industries and infrastructure development. Once construction is completed, high-efficiency solar cells and TOPCon solar modules will be manufactured here using advanced technology, helping meet the rapidly growing requirements of India's renewable energy sector.
SAEL Co-founder and Director Sukhbir Singh said, "The company is establishing a 5 GW solar cell and 5 GW solar module manufacturing facility with an initial investment of Rs 8,200 crore. This is not merely an investment in infrastructure but a significant investment towards India's energy self-reliance. The state is moving rapidly towards becoming a one trillion-dollar economy. By 2029-30, the company will increase its investment to Rs 20,000 crore."