Shimla, April 20 (). Two solar power projects of 400 kW will be set up in the tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh. The projects will be set up in Pangi subdivision of Chamba district, for which land has been transferred to Himurja, the state-run nodal agency for renewable energy, officials said on Thursday.
Himurja has selected one hectare of land each at Hilour and Dharwas for the solar plant at a cost of about Rs 10 crore.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu has instructed Himurja to complete the construction work at the earliest.
The Chief Minister said that apart from these, the state government has made provision in the budget for setting up a solar energy based battery energy storage system project to strengthen the power supply system in Pangi.
The project will provide uninterrupted power supply even during breakdown due to heavy snowfall. The people of Pangi face hardships especially during winters due to adverse climatic conditions and frequent power cuts.
Government is taking steps towards reducing carbon emissions by using solar energy. To make Himachal a green energy state by March 31, 2026, the government has set a target of commissioning solar power projects of 500 MW capacity in 2023-24. In addition, two panchayats in each district will be developed as green panchayats on a pilot basis.
The Chief Minister said that the government was also encouraging the youth to set up solar power projects of 250 kW to 2 MW capacity, for which the government would provide 40 per cent financial assistance. The power generated from these projects will be purchased by the State Electricity Board.
SGK/ANM
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