UP to offer incentives on power transmissionlines for state’s first solar expressway

Lucknow: Over two dozen leading companies from across India as well as the globe, came forward to discuss the potential of a solar expressway in Bundelkhand on Wednesday.The meeting, convened by the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) and presided over by chief secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, also saw stakeholders share their queries and grievances.In another positive development, the state govt agreed to incentivise the cost of laying down power transmission lines.Under the Uttar Pradesh Solar Energy Policy, solar power projects undertaken in the Bundelkhand and Purvanchal regions are eligible for incentives.For grid connectivity of projects with the capacity to produce more than 50 megawatts, the state would bear the cost of laying down transmission lines up to 20 km."Stakeholders were concerned about the cost they would incur on power evacuation. But we told them that the money they would end up spending on developing the transmission infrastructure would be reimbursed once the project is complete," said a UPEIDA officer.The process of immediate transmission of power from the generating plant to the grid is done through a power evacuation facility. While most of the solar parks operated commercially are rectangular in nature, private companies interested in the project were apprehensive about investing money as infrastructure would have to be created linearly along the 296-km long Bundelkhand Expressway."The cost of creating transmission infrastructure and laying down cables is lower on a rectangular piece of land compared to a linear field. That is why providing incentives is essential to promote the project," said an officer.The Expressways Authority has floated the bid document covering the details of the project to engage prominent solar power players. Due to the unique nature of the project, which is going to be the first of its kind in the country, the Wednesday meeting was organised to understand the concerns of the interested companies.UPEIDA is offering 4,200 acres of land along the expressway for setting up photovoltaic and is leasing out an acre of land annually for Rs 1. The project has the potential to generate 500 megawatts of solar power and would require investments in the range of Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 3,000 crore.To keep the infrastructure safe and protected, barbed wire fencing has been installed along the expressway, and multiple patrolling vehicles would be deputed to maintain a strict vigil.
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