AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the Polavaram right canal bund solar plant at Gollagudem village of Unguturmandal in West Godavari district on Monday.
The five megawatt canal bund solar plant is expected to generate eight million units of power a year. It was constructed at a cost of 37 crore. The central government gave a subsidy of 20 per cent.
Naidu reviewed the solar energy projects with senior officials on Sunday. He said the state government has proposed to generate 10,000 mw of solar energy by 2022. He directed officials to implement a special strategy to fast-track implementation of solar projects.
The present solar capacity in the state is about 1,000 megawatt. It will increase to 2,000 megawatt by March, 2017. Power utilities in AP are planning to invest about 20,000 crore to generate 2,500 megawatt of solar and 2,500 megawatt of wind power.
The APGenco has an installed capacity of 4,562.6 megawatt, including 2,810 megawatt of thermal. According to an official statement here on Sunday, a five megawatt solar plant reduces 70 tonnes of sulphurdioxide, mono-nitrogen oxides and 7,455 tonnes of green house gas emission.
By Baishakhi Dutta
