ROURKELA: The solar power generation campaign of Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) to meet 30 per cent of its energy needs from solar energy by 2030 is yet to yield the desired outcome.Launched in early 2021, RMC’s flagship initiative ‘Solarisation Rourkela’ has met with little success in the last two years.
Under the initiative, individual households, institutions, commercial establishments and MSMEs are being encouraged to adopt solar power with the initial target to cover 5,000 private buildings. However, the target seems far away and the RMC reportedly has no data on private buildings which have been solarised so far.
Following a tender in July this year for rooftop installation of photovoltaic (PV) panels and power back-up systems, the RMC on a pilot basis covered its office building and eight urban public health centres (UPHCs) with a combined capacity of 125 kilowatt. Reliable sources said the Tata Power Western Odisha Distribution Ltd (TPWODL) is likely to install meters soon and connect those to the grid following which the project would start operation. Basing on the success of the pilot project, over 40 government buildings including school buildings would be covered.
It is learnt that the RMC for the last couple of years has been mulling to set up a 30 mega watt (MW) solar park and recently, a patch of 35 acre government land was identified near Rourkela in Lathikata block for the purpose. If RMC sources are to be believed, the Rourkela Smart City Ltd (RSCL) was supposed to be involved in the solar park project. But now, there is no clarity on the role of RSCL amid talks of involving private players.
Rourkela ADM and RMC commissioner Subhankar Mohapatra said the civic body has kick-started the Solarisation Rourkela initiative covering the RMC and eight UPHC buildings. For private buildings, a start-up has been engaged. Land has been identified for the solar park and government approval is pending for the project.
Incidentally, the SBI and TPWODL have been roped in to assist interested stakeholders to install solar panels and avail finance. The RMC has also engaged Agro Fresh Pvt Ltd (AFPL), a local start-up, to generate awareness among individuals, business establishments and local industrial units on clean and green energy and facilitate system installation.