Gujarat to develop unique model for clean energy: Modi

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today said that the state was currently in the process of developing a unique model to generate clean energy from the Narmada canals which is bound to draw the attention of the world.

"We have concluded that by covering one kilometre of Narmada branch canal network with solar panels, one mega watt of power can be generated and in the process one crore litre of water could be saved from getting evaporated," Modi said, referring to the model being developed.

"Now technocrats working on it have been asked to check feasibility of hanging micro hydro turbines from the network of solar panels so that when water flows through the canal, electricity also gets generated," he said.

"To begin with around 25 kilometres of the Narmada branch canal network will be covered with solar panels, which is amongst the world's largest canal networks," Modi said, while speaking at an event organised jointly by Danish and Gujarat government on renewable energy.

"Since the canal networks pass from villages, energy could easily be distributed to them from there itself without any pilferage, and it would be a unique integrated model of clean energy generation in the world," he claimed.

Incidentally, the Gujarat government has signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPA's) for generation of 1,000 MW of solar power.

Modi said, Gujarat is the first state in the country to develop a 500 MW solar park. Only 0.1% of Gujarat's land has been set aside for solar energy generation when potential is to develop 10,000 MW of solar power with it.

"In wind energy too, we are strategically located with a coastline of over 1,600 kilometre," Modi said.

"In wind power, with an installed capacity of 2,455 MW we are generating more than 4.5 million units, thus we are saving 3 MT of coal and avoiding emissions of 4.5 MT of carbon-dioxide every year," he said.