India News | West Bengal to Increase Solar Power Capacity to 1,760 Mw: Minister

Kolkata, May 26 (PTI) The West Bengal government will increase its solar power generation capacity to 1,760 mw over the next few years, state Power Minister Aroop Biswas said on Friday.

Speaking at an event organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Biswas said the current solar power generation capacity of the state is 135.58 mw.

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Over the next few years, the state will take its solar power generation capacity to 1,760 mw, he said.

A 500 mw solar power project will come up in Bakreshwar and another 700 mw project will be set up in Mukutmanipur, Biswas said.

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The solar project in Bakreshwar will be developed by the West Bengal Power Development Corporation Ltd (WBPDCL), while the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL) has already taken up the preliminary works for the Mukutmanipur project, he said.

"Recently, the Centre has identified West Bengal as having potential for green hydrogen. Durgapur Projects Ltd (DPL) is planning to set up a trial project in Durgapur," he said.

Biswas also said that the state was planning a second pumped storage hydropower project of 1,000 mw capacity at Turga in Purulia. At present, it has a 900 mw pumped storage hydropower capacity, operated by the WBSEDCL.

The total power generation capacity of the state is 9,500 mw, which will be increased by another 4,100 mw over the next few years, he said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)