Centre’s boost for Maharashtra solar projects

PUNE: The ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) is all set to work with the Maharashtra Energy Development Agency (MEDA) to implement off-grid and concentrated solar projects in the state.

R P Goswami, director CST – MNRE, said the agency with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will help build the pipeline according to the projects in the state. “It is the right time for entrepreneurs to join the renewable energy brigade and aim to strengthen the CST industry,” he said during a workshop titled ‘Concentrating Solar Thermal Technologies (CST) in Industries’ held in the city.
He said the time is ripe for industries who have implemented these technologies in their facilities to spread its benefits.

According to MNRE officials, the ministry will tie up with the Global Environment Facility and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (GEF-UNIDO) to promote technologies in the domain of concentrating solar thermal. The bodies have designed a project titled ‘Promoting business models for increasing penetrations and scaling up of solar energy’. The ministry has tied up with the state agency – MEDA and CII for the same.

Shishir Joshipura, chairman of the CII Pune zone and MD of the SKF Industries, said such kind of solar systems are no longer to be looked at as a factor of economics but as long-term investments.

“The MEDA as the state nodal agency will focus on projects in the areas of solar energy, waste-to-energy and energy conservation. Funds under MEDA are being allocated under the off-grid solar energy policy where 100% assistance can be provided,” said Nitin Gadre, director general, MEDA.

Anil Misra, national project manager of UNIDO, said the organization has partnered with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited to develop a financial package bundling the subsidy from the ministry. Some firms in the city which have adopted the CST systems in their facilities are Clique Solar, Thermax, Oorja Energy Engineering Services, Quadsun Solar, ATE enterprises among others.

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