Implementation of a clean, reliable and cost-effective source of energy has become the need of the hour not only in India but globally.
With rapid advancements in technology, leading to reduced renewable technology costs and dropping solar tariffs, a switch to clean energy not only makes environmental sense but a strong economic sense.
With a clear mission of achieving renewable targets, India is closer to its target at 94.4 gigawatts installed capacity as of March 31, 2021.
While India has taken swift strides especially in the Renewable Energy (RE) space, India is still energy deficit.
It is interesting to note that North East India has the highest energy supply deficit in the country and within the North East Region, and Assam has the highest current energy deficit of 45 million which has prompted the state to take some strong steps to address this very important need in the year 2018.
Assam being the largest economy in the northeast region of India and with a population of over 3 Crore, has seen a significant increase in power demand in recent years.
With the adoption & implementation of renewable energy, the drive to support investments in a sustainable manner has been set in motion thereby creating local employment opportunities which will have a positive ripple impact on the State’s economic diversity.
While Assam’s energy needs are predominately met by Thermal and Gas, followed by hydro projects, Assam has installed RE portfolio stands at 79 MW as of 31, March 21. Assam, like the rest of the country, is also increasing its renewable energy portfolio and has about 190 MW of solar projects under development as of September 2020.
In helping the state meet its quest for Renewable energy - Azure Power India’s leading solar power company with a journey spanning over 10 years and the first private utility solar power company in India to develop a solar plant in 2009, is building its first solar power plant in the state of Assam.
In 2018, the company, through a competitive bidding process, has won a 90 MW project, the largest solar power project in the North-Eastern region.
Under the agreement, the company will set up the solar power plants which will supply the much required green power to Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL).
The sustainable and environmentally friendly project is expected to be fully commissioned by 2021.
The process of setting up the latest solar power plants has evolved over a period of time.
Today the predominant resources on which the global economy depends – oil, coal and natural gas – will be completely phased out of existence in the near future across the globe.
Simply put, the environmental and operating costs associated with producing fossil fuels dramatically outweigh the advantages of solar energy.
The solar power plant in Nagaon, Central Assam is easily installed on the land ground mount and has no impact on the land it is located on.
The electricity supplied to the grid is at a competitive rate, this reduction in electricity cost will eventually be benefitted by the people of Assam.
While the quest for contributing to the overall power supply of clean and affordable energy to the state continues, Azure Power projects aim to also provide employment opportunity locally during and after the construction of the plant.
It also aims to support and contribute to the skill upgrading ecosystem with various skill development programmes in the vicinity where these projects are set up.
In the last 3 years, Azure power has sponsored upskilling of 3500+ beneficiaries across 6 states and 500+ in Assam alone.
The majority of them are gainfully employed. Azure is actively involved in the promotion of livelihood enhancement programmes, across four districts of Assam namely Nagaon, Udalguri, Kamrup and Cachar.
The training courses are tailored according to the employability prospects in the area.
While community development is one aspect of social consideration that a company chooses, development of such solar projects like any other industry setup, still has to undergo all due diligence from the time of winning the project, to obtain all required clearances from various authorities while setting up the project.
Among such NOCs are forest clearances and rightly so, conservation of forest and its wildlife is of prime importance anytime.
Assam has rich biodiversity and inhabits rare and endangered endemic wildlife like the One-Horned Rhinoceroses, the Royal Bengal Tiger, the RasorShark among others.
Such clearances also confirm that the projects do not fall in any such animal corridor. All solar power projects must obtain these forest NOCs before the plant is set up.
The NOC from the forest division confirms that the solar power project in Nagaon does not encroach on any forest land or animal corridors and we have all necessary approvals and no objection certificates in place from competent authorities from the state and local bodies.
Furthermore, Arcadis, the world’s leading environment consultant with a presence across 70 countries, re-confirmed that the solar project in Mikir Bamuni, Nagaon is not a notified elephant corridor.
In India, Arcadis has been operating for more than 20 years and holds accreditation to undertake regulatory Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) as well.
It is very important to understand that the elephant corridors are formally identified corridors.
Pursuant to the supreme court’s judgement around 100 elephant corridors across the country have been identified and well documented by the government and other agencies.
The possibility of the existence of an Elephant corridor at the Land where Azure power is constructing a solar power project at Mikir Bamuni has never been raised by any competent authority in consideration of the environmental setting in which the project is being constructed.
While all companies like Azure and others who set up any projects in the state, must follow the law of the land and additionally also contribute to the society through their CSR initiatives, the need of the hour is for the government and society to come together to encourage players in the renewable energy space.
Such projects will not only enhance the renewable energy footprint but will also help bring investments in the state, which will only contribute to the economic and social development by creating a self-dependent ecosystem, especially in the rural areas.
(The author is VP- Policy and Communications, Azure Power and the views expressed are purely hers)