Solar power is sure, pure, secure: PM
BHOPAL: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India is considered the most attractive clean energy market because of the tremendous progress in this field and added solar energy will play a key role in achieving the Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) goal.
He called solar energy pure, sure, and secure. “It is sure because other sources of energy might be depleted but not of the sun. It will always continue to shine. It is pure because it helps the environment instead of polluting it and secure because it is a symbol of self-reliance,” said Modi while inaugurating Asia’s biggest--750 MW --solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa via video conferencing.
Modi said when policy markers were in a dilemma globally whether to focus on the economy or environment and took decisions, either way, India had shown the way that they complemented each other. “For us, protection of the environment is not confined to a few projects but it is a way of life. When we are launching big projects of renewable energy, we are trying to ensure that our resolve towards clean energy is reflected in every aspect of our life, and also our efforts are to see that its benefit goes to every citizen, every class and every part of the country,” he said.
Modi said 360 million LED bulbs have been distributed across the country and over 10 million fitted in street lights over the last six years. He added prices of LED bulbs were once beyond the common man’s reach. In the past six years, the prices have reduced 10 times and people were now using 9-10 watt instead of 100200 watt bulbs, he said. As a result, he said, the consumption of power has been reduced by 6 billion units.
Modi cited the government’s policy on solar power and added the price of solar energy has come down to ₹2-2.50 per unit from ₹7-8 per unit in 2014.
Modi said the solar power potential cannot be utilised completely till the country has better solar panels, battery, and storage capacity. “The country’s aim under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan is to do away with our dependence on imports for various hardware, including solar panels,” he said.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the foundation for the ₹4000 crore project was laid in 2017 and the power it will produce will cost ₹2.97 per unit, which is the lowest rate in the country. “From the environmental point of view, emission of 15.7 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide is being prevented ... which is equal to planting 26 million trees ....24% of the power produced is going to the Delhi Metro.”