Bloomberg television India has reported that the government of India is planning to set up a national clean energy grid .
The grid aimed at exclusively handling renewable energy generated across the country will receive an initial investment of Rs3,419.47 from the government. The grid should help transfer surplus power from states rich in renewable energy sources to energy-starved states.
According to the report, the Inter-Ministerial Group has both recommended the investment and identified seven states for developing the grid.
Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh are the states identified for the project.
Financing for the infrastructure development will be drawn from the National Clean Energy Fund and allocations are proposed to be made directly to state governments. States can build the necessary infrastructure through EPC contracts awarded through auctions, the report says.
A grid to handle renewable energy resources has become a necessity considering that the government has set the target for renewable energy capacity at 175 gigawatts by 2022. Of this the ministry recently set the solar target at 100 megawatt by 2019.
The targeted growth in renewable energy should make the development of a separate grid inevitable. The grid would not only help manage the power generated by renewable sources better but also limit wastage of power.
The Bloomberg report hasn’t given details about whether energy storage systems will form part of the grid. But such devices are also likely play a vital role considering the climate-dependent variations in power generation from clean energy sources such as wind and solar plants.
Ajith Kumar S