Govt helping rice producing states to use husk for electricity
Government is encouraging rice producing states in the country to generate electricity from its husk to fulfil the unmet need for electricity in their villages.
New and renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah said today that his ministry has been promoting rice husk based biomass gasifier system for providing electricity in villages.
“So far, about 150 villages/hamlets of Bihar have been getting electricity from rice husk. In addition, one such system is under installation at Md Devipura village of District Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh,” Abdullah said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
He said the ministry was making efforts to promote such systems in West Bengal, Orissa, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and other rice producing states in association with state government and NGOs based on sustainable business model.
“The ministry has been supporting setting up of power projects through biomass gasification as well as biomass combustion technologies in rice producing states using surplus agro industrial and agricultural residues including husk,” the minister said.
Abdullah said renewable power generation capacity of about 18,320mw (grid-connected) has been set up in the country upto October 31.
“It is envisaged to add renewable power capacity of 35,000mw upto the end of the 13th plan,” the minister said. The 13th plan ends on March 31, 2022.
Abdullah said total wind power capacity of over 12,900mw has been established in the country so far.
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, launched in January this year aims at setting up 20,000mw grid solar power and 2,000mw off grid solar applications including 20 million solar lights by 2022, the minister said.
“The mission will be implemented in three phases. Government has approved the target to set up 1,100mw grid connected solar plants, including 100mw capacity plants as rooftop and small solar plants for the first phase of the mission till March, 2013,” the minister said.
As per 2001 census, 4,74,162 villages were electrified in the country. “The balance 1,19,570 number of villages are to be electrified,” he said.
Under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna of ministry of power, electrification works in 86,270 villages have been completed.
Source: PTI
