Odisha’s Energy Minister, Captain Dibya Shankar Mishra, on July 20, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GR Das, CEO, Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha Ltd (GEDCOL) and RK Jaiswal, Executive Director of National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) for the solar power project.
The Minister, on the occasion, said that the efforts are on to encourage setting up of hydel projects in the state in place of thermal power stations to reduce environmental pollution. The smoke emanating from thermal power stations devastate environment and ecology, he added.
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The Minister further said that massive tree plantation can be taken up to cover up the loss of forest due to construction of the hydel projects. Proposals with solar power projects will be encouraged and welcomed, he added.
The proposed solar power projects will be set up in 12 reservoirs on floating mode. Once the projects are up and running, it will generate nearly 500 MW of power. The cost of projects is expected to be Rs 2500 crore. The project, once on the ground, will be the largest solar project in the country and will be set up in the remote adivasi dominated areas.
