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Indrani Dutta

Kolkata May 9

HYDERABAD-BASED Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd and the Gujarat-based Suzlon India Ltd are among the companies which have shown an interest in setting up non-conventional energy projects in West Bengal.

They were among the 26 companies which had shown an interest in setting up non-renewable energy projects in the State by participating in a bid floated by the West Bengal Renewable Energy Development Agency (WBREDA), the State's nodal agency for non-conventional energy development.

In January this year the State Power Minister, Mr Mrinal Banerjee had announced the Government's decision to open up the non-conventional energy sector to the private sector as well as non-governmental organisations. West Bengal has 400 MW of identified potential in the renewable energy sector.

The segments that were being offered to the private sector were wind energy, mini and micro hydel projects and bio-mass based power generation projects.

The state invited `Expressions of Interest' in February this year, offering to the companies a shelf of projects ready for investment. "Most of these projects are expected to get going within six months," according to sources in WBREDA, who said that investigations into all the projects advertised had been completed by WBREDA. Forest clearances from the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment would be required only for big hydel projects. Those having a capacity of 25 MW or less are exempted from seeking such clearances, sources said.

Elaborating on the EoIs, sources said that the Hyderabad-based company was keen on setting up a 12 MW hydel power project as well as a rice husk unit. Shri Vasavi Industries, also of Hyderabad, has expressed an interest in setting up a six MW bio mass unit. Shri Vasavi runs a steel unit in Bankura district in West Bengal.

The biggest offer has come from Suzlon India Ltd - a Gujarat-based company which has offered to set up a 6 MW capacity wind power project in the short term and other projects (wind) with a total capacity of 200 MW in the long term. This should entail an investment of Rs 800 crore, sources said.

It may be mentioned here that West Bengal's total potential of renewable and non-conventional energy sources has been estimated at around 900 MW including energy from urban waste and from small hydel units. Among the energy forms tapped by the WBREDA are biogas, biomass, wind energy and hybrid projects of wind and diesel and wind and solar besides solar energy. WBREDA director, Mr S.P. Gonchowdhury told Business Line that the process of shortlisting the participants would commence after the elections and companies willing to electrify two to three villages would get priority in project allotment.

More Stories on : Non-conventional Energy | Other States

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