Has Goa government’s much hyped project of generating its own power through clean and renewable solar energy lost direction ever since it was launched in 2021?
Fathom this, solar panels placed on the twin buildings of Cuncolim Municipality --- Community Hall, and Fish Market, and garbage are not working.
According to information available, the twin sites in Cuncolim, were the 47 places in the state, where Solar panels were installed on public buildings and open spaces by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) under an ambitious plan.
“The solar panels on the twin building were never put into operation and thus there is no question of the solar panels, not functioning,” said one former Cuncolim councilor, who did not wish to be named.
“The question of functioning or non-functioning comes into the picture if they were connected to the gird and power was generated. When they were not connected where is the question of the same not working,” added the former elected representative.
The twin buildings are not the only ones to have solar panels installed in Cuncolim.
A 1MW solar power plant was successfully installed by EESL at the Cuncolim substation of the electricity department on January 23, 2021 which was to be part of a bigger 100 MW decentralised solar power project being implemented by EESL in various locations across the state.
The solar plant in Cuncolim along with other plants in different parts of Goa was to be a major step towards the state generating its own power through clean and renewable solar energy.
The other sites in the state where solar panels were installed are: Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula, V.P. Camorlim, Salcete, Govt. College, Borda, Margao, High Court Judge Residence Bungalow, Altinho, National Centre for Polar Ocean & Research, Vasco, Electricity Department Sub-station, Amona, Electricity Department Sub-station, Aquem, Electricity Department Sub-station, Bambolim, Electricity Department Sub-station, Bethora, Electricity Department Sub-station, Cuncolim IDC, Electricity Department Sub-station, Donapaula, Electricity Department Sub-station, Fatorda, Electricity Department Sub-station, Mapusa, Electricity Department Sub-station, Montehill, Electricity Department Sub-station, Nachinola, Electricity Department Sub-station, Nessai, Electricity Department Sub-station, Saligao, Electricity Department Sub-station, Thivim, Electricity Department Sub-station, Xeldem, Electricity Department Sub-station, Xelpem, Fire Station, Pilerne, Bardez, Postal Department, Patto, Panaji, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Saligao, Goa University, Bambolim, Government ITI Cacora, Government Polytechnic Panaji, GEDA Office Panaji, Secretariat Building, Porvorim, Primary Health Centre, Quepem, Goa College of Home Science, Campal, Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Sanquelim, Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Khandola, Marcel, Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Quepem, Government College of Arts & Commerce, Pernem, Modern Central Jail, Colvale, Dept. of Planning Statistic & Evaluation, Porvorim, Municipal Office Building, Sanguem, Municipal Office Building, Bicholim, Municipal Waste Treatment Plant, Bicholim, New Market Building, Bicholim, New Market Building, Bicholim, Municipal Community Hall Building, Cuncolim, Municipal Fish Market Building, Cuncolim, Municipal Office Building, Quepem, Community Health Center, Sankhali, Primary Health Center, Curchorem and Primary Health Center, Shiroda.
The total power generation of this plants was to be 2435kW, how many of them are working and how much power is generated is not known.
For the convergence project of EESL, Goa electricity department was required to identify unused land available in the various substations across the state for the project for the installation of 110 MW of solar power plants in the state.
But, over the years EESL has installed and commissioned only one MW solar plant at the Cuncolim substation.
It was not immediately not known if the MW solar plant in Cuncolim is working or is suffering the same fate as the twin nonoperational projects in Cuncolim market.
The department of New and Renewable Energy and EESL had signed an MOU wherein EESL was to install 100 MW decentralised solar convergence project on government land and provide electricity to the state at Rs 3.60 per unit.
The total investment in the project was about Rs 450 crore. Under the terms of the agreement, EESL was to replace 7,000 agriculture pumps with five-star rated pumps at its own cost (Rs 30 crore) and supply 16 lakh LED bulbs at own cost for rural and domestic households (Rs eight crore). EESL project was implemented by its newly-formed subsidiary, Convergence Energy Services Ltd.
EESL project was expected to result in a savings of Rs 2,500 crores to the state over the life of the project. Approximately 400,000 households were to benefit from it and 140,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) were to be avoided. Savings to the electricity department were to be significant from the solarisation of feeders.
The ambitious green energy target plans have not become a reality with the government falling way short of the projected solar power which was to be generated from such plants according to information dished out by power minister Sudin Dhavlikar in the state assembly.
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is a joint venture of four public sector undertakings, NTPC, Power Finance Corporation Ltd., Rural Electrification Corporation and Powergrid Corporation of India, set up under Ministry of Power,
The company founded in 2010, by the Union government is implementing the largest energy efficiency portfolio in the world. EESL’s energy efficient appliances and technologies have saved India over 35 billion kWh energy annually.
Box
1. 30kW Raj Bhavan, Dona Paula
2. 20kW V.P. Camorlim, Salcete
3. 30kW Govt. College, Borda, Margao
4. 5kW High Court Judge Residence Bungalow, Altinho
5. 185kW National Centre for Polar Ocean & Research, Vasco
6 60kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Amona
7 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Aquem
8 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Bambolim
9 20kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Bethora
10 100kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Cuncolim IDC
11 60kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Donapaula
12 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Fatorda
13 20kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Mapusa
14 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Montehill
15 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Nachinola
16 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Nessai
17 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Saligao
18 40kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Thivim
19 30kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Xeldem
20 10kW Electricity Department Sub-station, Xelpem 680
21 4kW Fire Station, Pilerne, Bardez
22 20kW Postal Department, Patto, Panaji
23 45kW Goa State Pollution Control Board, Saligao
24 605kW Goa University, Bambolim
25 50kW Government ITI Cacora
26 80kW Government Polytechnic Panaji
27 14kW GEDA Office Panaji
28 40kW Secretariat Building, Porvorim 1538
29 20kW Primary Health Centre, Quepem
30 30kW Goa College of Home Science, Campal
31 80kW Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Sanquelim
32 60kW Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce,Khandola, Marcel
33 180kW Government College of Arts, Science & Commerce,Quepem
34 190kW Government College of Arts & Commerce, Pernem
35 100kW Modern Central Jail, Colvale
36 14kW Dept. of Planning Statistic & Evaluation, Porvorim
37 15kW Municipal Office Building, Sanguem
38 10kW Municipal Office Building, Bicholim
39 22kW Municipal Waste Treatment Plant, Bicholim
40 3kW New Market Building, Bicholim
41 4kW New Market Building, Bicholim
42 30kW Municipal Community Hall Building, Cuncolim
43 9kW Municipal Fish Market Building, Cuncolim
44 10kW Municipal Office Building, Quepem
45 40kW Community Health Center, Sankhali
46 40kW Primary Health Center, Curchorem
47 40kW Primary Health Center, Shiroda
Total 2435kW
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