more-inWith glut situation in the power sector and growing thrust to produce solar power keeping in view the cost advantage and criticism over fossil fuel pollution due to thermal power generation, the super thermal power project proposed at Pudimadaka with single largest investment in Andhra Pradesh post-bifurcation may not see the light of the day. The public hearing for Pudimadaka project envisaged with an investment of ₹26,828 crore was held in August, 2015. However, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal directed NTPC in January, 2016 to redesign the project to generate power with domestic coal to save foreign exchange. Enquiries in NTPC, the leader in thermal power generation, have revealed that the company is also according priority to solar power as the Centre during the budget statement of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for 2017-18 decided to increase solar power generation from 20 to 40 giga watts. India’s target for 2022 is to produce 100 GW of solar power.

Source: The Hindu July 25, 2017 02:37 UTC