MARGAO
Power Minister Nilesh Cabral on Saturday said that while Goa was liberated 60 years ago, the government is now looking forward to see that the state is liberated from fossil fuel burning to meet its power requirements
Cabral was speaking at the inauguration of the first “convergence project”, which integrates the delivery of clean renewable decentralised energy with energy-efficient pump sets and LED lamps for rural homes.
The Power Minister also laid the foundation stone for the 100 MW solar project, which will be implemented by Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL).
“We assure the people that we will promote green energy. Goa is known as a tourism destination, where people flock. We want to keep Goa as clean as possible and give the freshest air as possible, which is not available anywhere in the world,” he said, while addressing a programme at Cuncolim on Saturday.
Touching upon the ongoing anti-coal agitation, Cabral said, “People will say there will be destruction of trees if some projects are implemented. Human race has to be comfortable. There ought to be some sacrifices. It does not come like that. But, we will plant 10 times more trees. This is a commitment from the environment department.”
Saying that the convergence model is the first of its kind in India, and will be implemented across the country, Cabral said Goa will not spend a single paisa on the project to produce 650 MW of solar energy over a space of time.
“This initiative will ensure that Goa does not depend on fossil fuel to meet its power requirements. We will try to generate around 600 MV of green energy through solar, wind and tidal forms, besides other areas,” he said.
The convergence model envisages the replacement of around 7000 water pumps of farmers, without any cost to them. “We will distribute 16 lakh LED bulbs in the rural sector,” he added.
Cabral disclosed plans to utilize barren land owned by the power department, water resources department, revenue department and land belonging to the comunidades and the devasthans to install solar panels across the state.
He further said the power department will soon launch electric charging stations across the state for electric vehicles. “Few days from now, government will start using electric vehicles. We will come out with a scheme where people can replace their vehicles as part of the scheme,” he added.
In his address, WRD Minister Filipe Neri Rodrigues complimented the Power Minister for the green energy initiative. “Clean and green environment, communal harmony and brotherhood and the rich cultural bonds are all part of Goa’s ethos,” Filipe said.
Power Secretary, Kunal, IAS remarked, “The energy sector has seen rapid changes on the back of falling costs of renewable power. Projects such as these can uplift Goa’s rural areas, with increased energy access and reliability. Decentralised solar is the future and will be a catalyst in transforming our energy landscape and achieving our sustainable development goals.”
Saurabh Kumar, Executive Vice Chairperson, EESL, said, “As we move towards a decentralised and renewables led energy sector, our solutions accordingly have to keep pace. Our convergence initiative is an effort to bring together a diverse bundle of interventions into one comprehensive solution, which can solve multiple energy sector challenges. Today’s inauguration marks the beginning of Convergence, and I firmly believe that it will enable increased energy access and better quality of life for the people of Goa.”
Mahua Acharya, CEO & MD, Convergence Energy Services Limited, said, “Today, we begin the journey towards transforming the energy landscape of our rural areas. CESL aims to be the driving force behind India’s imminent energy transition. The leadership shown by the Government of Goa is very encouraging and I am very excited to see more such integrated projects come to life”.
