Under the ‘Power Station for Village’ programme, we are now making initial arrangements for setting up 7,000 low voltage connected solar power plants in 7,000 villages, where electricity facilities are scarce, said Solar, Wind, Grid Power Generation Projects Development State Minister Duminda Dissanayake.
He said so speaking to the Daily News at Anuradhapura Office, regarding the new trends in the field of renewable energy development.
The State Minister said that within the next three years it was intended to add 750 MW to the National Grid from the emerging 7,000 rural power stations. Irrespective of political background or other differences, any person who has got a minimum forty perches land of his own in the particular village within the venue earmarked to install the plant with adequate funds around one million is eligible to join this programme as a prospective entrepreneur.
“If he cannot afford for the total expenditure, he may start the power station with the support of any private renewable power generation agency acceptable to the State Ministry and the CEB, State Minister Dissanayake stressed. The State Ministry could intervene in obtaining bank loan facilities also for the realisation of such projects. Referring to the Electricity for All programme, the State Minister said that there are around 99,675 household sans electricity. It has been planned to supply electricity to the most needed 33,360 families before the forthcoming New Year celebrations.
“The CEB would not levy the Rs.15,000 connectivity charges under the programme. The programme of providing rooftop solar systems to 100,000 Samurdhi beneficiary families is in progress. Under this programme, 2,000 low income group families in the Anuradhapura district will be provided with the roof-top solar system facilities with each system generating Five Kilowatts of electricity,” the State Minister further said.
Every family coming under this programme could earn an additional monthly income of around Rs.10,000,” he added.