Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday virtually laid foundation stones for three renewable energy projects aimed at producing 5,314 MW of power. The chief minister said the projects would help Andhra Pradesh become number one in green energy. He laid foundation stones for a 2,300 MW solar power project to be set up by Greenko Group at Junuthala village in Owk mandal, 700 MW solar and 314 MW wind power plants to be set up by AM Green Energy at Kandikayapalle village in Panyam mandal, and 1,000 MW solar and wind power projects each to be set up by Ecoren Energy at Muddavaram village in Bethamcherla mandal. These companies will invest Rs 10,350 crore, Rs 4,500 crore and Rs 11,000 crore respectively, and generate 2,300, 1,000 and 2,000 jobs respectively, according to the government. Also, the government’s power generation company, APGENCO, signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) in the presence of the chief minister to promote pumped-storage power projects. The chief minister said that pump-storage power projects were environment-friendly and would reduce dependence on fossil fuels. He also released a white paper on the investment opportunities in the green hydrogen sector in the state. “Pump-storage power projects will help us produce power during peak hours and bring about a revolution in green energy, which will control the world in future, and the state will become part of the green energy revolution,” he said. In all, 37 locations have been identified to start pump-storage units to produce 41,000 MW and feasibility studies have been completed on 29 projects aimed at producing 33,240 MW, said Energy Minister P Ramachandra Reddy. Detailed project reports are ready for projects to produce 20,900 MW. Companies were permitted to begin work to produce 16,180 MW of this target. As per the memorandum of understanding, APGENCO and the NHPC will set up 1,000 MW and 950 MW pump-storage units at Yaganti and Kapalapadu, respectively, with an investment of Rs 10,000 crore in partnership. These units will provide 2,000 jobs. Both public-sector undertakings will also set up pump-storage power units worth 2,750 MW in three more locations, for which feasibility studies are underway, the energy minister said. The companies will also pay a royalty of Rs 1 lakh for each MW and pay farmers Rs 30,000 per acre every year with a price escalation of 5 per cent every two years for their land, according to the government. The state already produces 8,999 MW of solar and wind power. Thegovernment expects that an agreement signed with the Solar Energy Corporation of India to get power at Rs 2.49 per unit will help provide free power to farmers during daytime for 25-30 years.
