750-kW solar power project inaugurated in Dharamsala

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu arrived here for the nine-day winter sojourn in Kangra today afternoon. The CM is slated to stay in Kangra district till January 25. He was welcomed at Sport Authority of India (SAI) stadium where the helicopter of CM landed by Minister for PWD, Vikramaditya Singh, minister for Ayush and Sports Yadwinder Goma and chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation RS Bali.

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The CM today inaugurated the first 750-kilowatt solar power project at Dharamsala built at a cost of Rs. 4.74 crore. Spanning 8,500 square meters of land, this project will generate approximately 2,000 units of electricity daily, yielding a monthly income of Rs. 2.80 lakh. The construction work of the project was started in October 2023 and was completed in November 2024.

The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) has entered into an agreement to purchase electricity generated from this project. The project features 1,364 solar panels equipped with comprehensive safety measures, including lightning and fire protection as well as an earthing and bonding system to ensure electrical safety.

The Chief Minister said the state government was promoting green energy and working on a comprehensive strategy to harness solar energy. He said that seven solar power projects with a combined capacity of 72 megawatts would soon be allocated. Additionally, surveys and studies are underway for eight projects with a total capacity of 325 megawatts. He said that for the first time, the government was moving towards developing 200 panchayats as “Green Panchayats” by installing 200-kilowatt ground-mounted solar plants.

Sukhu said that the 32-megawatt Pekhubela solar energy project in Una district was dedicated to the public on April 15, 2024. From April to October 2024, the project generated 34.19 million units of electricity in six and a half months, earning Rs. 10.16 crore. Additionally, the 5-megawatt solar energy project in Bhanjal (Una) was commissioned on November 30, 2024, while the construction of the 10-megawatt Aghlaur solar energy project is expected to be completed shortly, he said.

The Chief Minister said that the present state government was striving to make Himachal Pradesh the first ‘Green Energy State’ in the country by 2026 to ensure environmental preservation. Harnessing green energy would help in reducing carbon emissions and play a significant role in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change, he said.