Big boost for renewable energy sector in Anantapur, Kurnool

Energy University being set up in Anantapur has been sanctioned 500 acres in Kuderu, which is considered the epicentre of the rain-shadow region. Renewable energy major Greenko has expressed willingness to take up the running of the university ever since its inception remained dormant for a couple of years.

Former AICTE Chairman S.S. Mantha, who is an adviser to the State government, is drawing up plans with the support of JNTU Anantapur, where classes are likely to begin before the varsity gets it own campus. A total of ₹250 crore over a five-year period has been planned as support for the Energy University.

Rapid growth

Anantapur and Kurnool districts are witnessing rapid growth in the renewable energy sector with several private players setting up wind and solar power generation parks.

The sector is gravitating towards hybrid energy projects (a combination of wind and solar power projects) with storage capacity, in order to ensure seamless electricity supply during unexpected outages.

“In Anantapur district alone, renewable energy projects with a capacity of 3,112.15 MW have been set up since 2014, with solar power contributing 589.20 MW and wind energy contributing 2,522.95 MW. More projects are in the pipeline or in the proposal stage, and these will help transform Andhra Pradesh into an energy-surplus State,” NREDCAP District Manager M. Kodanda Rama Murthy told The Hindu.

In the pipeline

An innovative power storage concept now comes in the form of water harvesting, and a hybrid project with a capacity of 2,750 MW proposed in Kurnool district by Greenko plans to combine wind, solar and hydroelectric projects with a facility for reverse pumping of water when there is excess electricity available.

While the hydroelectric component of the project is being proposed at Pinnapuram in the Kurnool district, the excess power generated instead of getting stored as energy in batteries will be stored in water, which can be released when needed to generate clean hydropower.

At Ramgiri in Anantapur district, the Solar Energy Corporation of India-sponsored 160MW hybrid project with 120 MW of solar and 40 MW of wind energy will have a 10 MW storage facility with a rating of 20 MW per hour. Close to 80% of the required land has been acquired for the project and 45 km of 400 KV power evacuation lines have been readied from Ramgiri to Hindupur.

The Global Energy Innovation Summit - Powering Andhra Pradesh to be held in Amaravati on February 5 and 6 will shed more light on the prospects and achievements in the sector in recent years and the path ahead, Mr. Rama Murthy said.