Urja Saksharta Abhiyan to be launched in Madhya Pradesh
In a meeting of the Cabinet held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, it was decided that ‘Urja Saksharta Abhiyan’ would be launched in the state to make all the citizens energy literate. Through the campaign, the citizens of the state will be given information about energy saving.
Efforts will be made to make all the citizens of the state energy literate according to a time bound action plan under the Urja Saksharta Abhiyan. The activities to be included in this campaign are to develop an understanding of the expenditure and dissipation of energy in the general public, to give information about traditional and alternative sources of energy and to create an understanding of their impact on the environment, meaningful dialogue about the use of energy, energy conservation and management, to create the ability to make decisions for efficient use of energy based on its awareness, understanding of the effects, consequences of energy consumption,mitigating the environmental risks and negative impact of climate change and enabling the selection of different energy technologies.
Taking a step towards tackling the effects of global warming and climate change, the state government is starting an ‘Urja Saksharta Abhiyan’. Through this unique campaign, the students of schools and colleges and the general public will be given information about energy and energy saving. The campaign will be implemented in the form of a mission.
The Cabinet has approved the decision of the state government to give guarantee to Project development by the state government’ – one of the major factors for the competitiveness and minimum tariff received in the tender issued for more than 10 times the total capacity of 1500 MW of Agar-Shajapur-Neemuch Solar Park. Due to this the lowest solar tariff has been achieved in the country. The guarantee of the state government has resulted in several benefits. The project development got loans at low interest rates due to payment security. International developers were interested in setting up the project, as they could get loans from foreign institutions at low interest rates. Due to low payment risk, developers are willing to set up the project even at low return i.e. low share capital return. In view of the guarantee of the state government in multi-layered payment security, less working capital is required. Interest on working capital is higher than term loan. Therefore, due to the availability of state guarantee, the additional interest on working capital cost has been saved.
Renewable energy capacity of about 5100 MW capacity has been established in the state till September 2021. It has solar power capacity of 2432 MW and wind power capacity of 2444 MW. About 21 percent of the total power supply available in Madhya Pradesh comes from renewable energy. In its continuous efforts to reduce carbon emissions, the state government is committed to increase the share of electricity supply from renewable energy to 40 per cent by 2030. In the same context, the Solar Energy Corporation of India and Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam’s joint venture company ‘Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL) had invited a tender on January 26, 2020 to develop Agar-Shajapur-Neemuch Solar Park of 1500 MW capacity. With the establishment of the proposed solar park project, a total of 3775 million units of energy will be generated and the state will get about 3018 million units of solar power and the rest will be given to Indian Railways.
As a result of other innovations adopted in the project like availability of land on contract signing date, sub-station for internal power connection, pre-fixed power purchase agreement, World Bank loan and state government guarantee, the state has created history by achieving contemporary lowest tariff across the country in 1500 MW capacity Agar-Shajapur-Neemuch Solar Park.