Assam starts detailed consultation on draft Assam RE policy 2022

The government of Assam started elaborate consultation on the Draft Assam Renewable Energy Policy 2022. Currently, a meeting was organised on the opportunities of solar power plants in tea estates and tea factories under the support of tea producer associations, ABITA, Assam Tea Planters Association (ATPA), Business Continuity Planning (BCP) and North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC). The Managing Director of Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), Rakesh Kumar, was present in the meeting and urged the tea industry representatives to give suggestions on the Draft Assam Renewable Energy Policy 2022. In the meeting, the New and Renewable Energy (NRE) wing of APDCL has elaborated on several modes of executing solar projects in the tea industry, including rooftop solar power plant on capital expenditure (capex) or renewable energy service company (RESCO) model, setting up of solar power plant by leasing uncultivated vacant tea land, captive solar power plant and setting up solar parks by leasing land to APDCL. APDCL has issued vendor registration to 15 tea industries for installing rooftop solar power plants. Several solar companies, including Tata Power, KSL-TV, Roofsol, Firstgreen and AVCO Energy Private Limited, have presented their ideas on solar power plants. Financial institutions like the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) informed about their financing schemes for solar power. According to Bidyananda Barkakoty, Adviser at NETA, the tea industry is seasonal, and power consumption is not the same throughout the year. There are some more issues in the tea industry, and would seek government guidance to tackle the issues for a win-win situation for the tea industry and the state of Assam. Image Source Also read: Govt announces new green hydrogen policy to cut down fossil fuel use