Coming, solar thermal power unit

 

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will soon have a solar thermal power station in Sivaganga district, chairman, Tamil Nadu Energy Development Authority (TEDA), Mohan Varghese Chungath  told a meeting on  'Low Carbon and High Growth' organised by the State Planning Commission here on Wednesday. He said the Coimbatore based KG group had been showing an interest in the solar thermal unit. Permission was granted to them by the State Government to set up a  1 MW unit at Manamadurai in Sivaganga district, and  the power plant was likely to come up in about 10 months, he added.The TEDA chief said  Tamil Nadu had a good potential to harness solar power and the State was making all efforts to increase the renewable energy share. The future was with solar power and the state had been making remarkable strides recording the  highest share of  32 per cent in renewable energy. Director, Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research, Anna University, A Ramachandran stressed the need for collaboration with developed countries like the UK to develop technology and devices to make significant progress in producing renewable energy. Though the potential to harness solar power was high, the cost was a prohibitive factor. Hence, photovoltaic cells that had a long life with cost effective technology was important. Deputy High Commissioner, British High Commission, Mike Connor, and Counsellor, Climate Change, British High Commission,Owen Jenkins, participated. Vice-chairman, State Planning Commission, M Naganathan told reporters that the meeting on low carbon was intended to offer a glimpse of the energy situation in the State to officials from the UK High Commission. " UK has been showing an interest in supporting a pilot project to help decarbonise the energy sector here and this is the first meeting,"he pointed out.