Friday, July 26, 2013: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) plans to seek financial assistance from the state government for setting up a 1 MW solar power generation unit in Kanjikode in Palakkad.
The state government has directed KSEB to the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for financial assistance for this project. The project is proposed to be implemented on the plot which is adjacent to KSEB’s 220-KV substation at Kanjikode.
Since there is no funding from NABARD for this project, the state board has now planned to use the Rs 80 million funding, which was announced by the finance minister in the 2013-14 budget. The budget is intended to be used for installation of solar power generation units in vacant land which is available at existing sub-stations and powerhouses.
Earlier in June, the state government had requested the board to put forth proposals for utilising the funds that was announced in the budget. As per the KSEB order, the total fund for the 1 MW solar power project is estimated at Rs 80 million. The order also states that, “In the case of Kanjikode 1 MW project, for which a detailed project report has been prepared, the capital cost is likely to be lower than the above as the land is already available with the board,” reported TOI.