The Indian government is looking to boost solar power in the remotest parts of the country, and in this endeavour an agreement has been signed for installation of a number of solar power projects in the islands of Andaman and Nicobar.
India’s largest power producer, NTPC Limited, has signed agreements with the administration of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy at the central government to set up solar power capacity of 50 MW across the islands.
The solar power projects will be set up at various locations across the capital Port Blair and will also be equipped with storage equipment. The solar power projects would prove a boon to the islands which are significantly dependent on fuel import from the mainland.
Setting up solar power projects at the islands is essential as they cannot be connected to the dedicated power transmission network being set for delivering power generated from large-scale renewable energy projects across the Indian states; the islands are thousands of kilometres away from mainland India.
The projects shall also be real test of India’s new energy storage program, which the government intends to integrate with its ambitious plan to set up ultra mega solar power projects of up to 4 GW capacity each.