PORT BLAIR, February 25: Solar power is being utilized in the small Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar islands to address the shortage of power supply in the island as taking up any Hydro Electric Power Project is not a feasible option.
In this regard, there are preparations underway with the installation of a Solar Power Plant with a capacity to produce 5 Mega Watt of electricity at Gharacharama located about 3km far from Port Blair, which has already started from September 2012.
The power plant situated at a 25 hectare land area is the first in the Union Territory and is being implemented by the Photon Energy Systems Limited at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore approximately. Work on the power plant is expected to be complete by the first half of next month.
Speaking to the All Manipur Working Journalists Union team in Andaman Nicobar, the project in-charge, Harsha Naidu said the total area covered by the plant is approximately 25 hectare and more than 20,000 solar plates are being used in the plant.
He continued that one single unit of the plant will be able to produce 8 MW.
When asked about how many such units will be implemented in the UT, he said it depends on the government of the UT. However if the present unit is a success, then implementation of other units might follow.
On a query about whether the Power Plant can run an industry, the project in-charge said it could run a host of industries but the expenditure could be high.
He said that such power plants are implemented in place where the implementation of Hydro Power Projects is impossible because of its eco-friendly element.
When asked if such projects can be taken up in Manipur, he said he did not know much about the state, but that it could be implemented in any place that receives enough sunlight.
Replying to a query on the demerits of solar power plants, he said it cannot produce power if it remains cloudy and added that it would also be hard to produce power during the five six months of monsoon in the UT.
It could be beneficial in Manipur, he said after the media team informed him that monsoons is not long in Manipur.