Clean Energy To Make AP Self-Reliant: Naidu

 Vijayawada: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has emphasized the need for AP to have an Integrated Clean Energy Policy-2024, to ensure the state’s economic self-reliance and Net Zero Emission target of the nation.

“AP would become a global hub and bring in an estimated net revenue of Rs 67,000 crore to the state in the next 5 years. The ICE Policy offers key features/ contours to create an investment-friendly environment. The operative period is 5 years from the date of issuance of the policy,” the CM said.

Naidu stated that AP’s other positives are its vast RE potential across wind, solar, and hybrid sources, storage capabilities through pumped storage projects and long coastline, six operational ports (with four under development), manpower availability, several industrial parks and SEZs and access to critical infrastructure.

“Andhra Pradesh is poised to bring various energy transition aspects under a single policy framework and drive large-scale investment,” he said.

The chief minister explained that the policy has four key objectives namely harnessing RE potential in the state by promoting clean energy solutions, ultimately driving progress towards state and country-level net zero targets, optimising energy cost through RE and cutting-edge technology adoption, leveraging transmission network and Green Energy Corridors for grid management, promoting manufacturing ecosystem development and investments for projects, development of a circular economy and creation of employment opportunities.

Special chief secretary to Energy, K Vijayanand, stressed during a teleconference the need for collaborative efforts from the AP Power utilities for implementation of the ICE policy-2024. This would make AP contribute towards India's goal of economic self-reliance and achieving an estimated net revenue positive of `67,000 crore to the state, as is aimed by the chief minister in the next five years, he said.

“With the Visionary leadership of CM Naidu, support from energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar and clear policies of the state government, the clean energy revolution in Andhra Pradesh will offer exciting RE prospects for the state,” Vijayanand said.

He said AP aimed to be a leading RE state that has set targets such as solar energy generation of 78.5 GWp, wind energy of 35gw, pumped storage of 22gw, battery energy storage system(BESS) of 25GWh, Green hydrogen and derivatives of 1.5 MMTPA, 1,500 KLPD Ethanol, 1,000 TPD of Bio-CNG/CBG, EV Charging Infrastructure of 5,000 PCS and 30GW of clean tech manufacturing.

The state has already created new opportunities by making it attractive in the eyes of investors with 3 GW of solar rooftop capacity under the PM Surya Ghar Scheme that benefited 10,00,000 households and the 3.7 GW solar capacity under the KUSUM scheme for 5,00,000 pump sets and the 1,000 MW/2,000 MWh of BESS capacity under BOOT model for a tenure of 15 years.

MD AP Genco, Chakradhar Babu, JMD AP Transco Kirthi Chekuri, CMDs of Discoms Pattansetti Ravi, Prudhvi Tej and Santosha Rao, and MD of solar power corporation, Kamalakar Babu participated in the conference.