Power dept looks to take TERI's help in use of solar power

Kolkata: The state Power department will take assistance from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on the use of solar power to operate agricultural pumps.

TERI will help West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL) in preparing the operational model in such a way that the cost of power supply to run the agricultural pumps gets reduced and the farmers are encouraged to use solar energy for the pumps as well.

State Power and Non-Conventional Energy minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay held a meeting on Friday with TERI director general Ajay Mathur at his chamber in the state Assembly, where some significant areas of the department's partnering with TERI were discussed.

"We will prepare a working model in consultation with TERI. The model will be such that power can be stored and at the same time, the surplus power can be supplied to the grid," Chattopadhyay said.

The Centre's subsidy of 40 percent under KUSUM scheme will come into effect in this project.

"The standard model will not work in case of Bengal, as land is scarce in the state. We will have to prepare a win-win model that will be beneficial for the power utility company and the farmers," a senior TERI official said.

The minister said that TERI will also make necessary planning and policy interventions in coordination with

the state Power and Transport department, so that Bengal gets ready with infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations.

The state government is pushing for more electric vehicles in the city, in an effort to reduce vehicular pollution.