Faced with erratic power supply, Kandla SEZ may switch to solar power

Claiming that SEZs could also become solar power distributors, Amiya Chandra, Zonal Development Commissioner of Kandla Special Economic Zone (KASEZ) on Friday said KASEZ will be exploring the feasibility of shifting to renewable energy and thereby cut power costs by 50 per cent.

“We are exploring several alternatives including buying solar power from Adani Power,” Chandra said, addressing an open house of all 20 SEZs in Gujarat at GIFT City Club on Friday. “The Adanis have already made an offer to supply power to all SEZs in Gujarat. This solar power is being produced at Adani Port and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) in Mundra and if they sell it to other SEZs they will get the benefits in duties.”

Chandra said the power supplied by state-run discom, Paschim Gujarat Vij Company Limited (PGVCL) to KASEZ was erratic and there was no power supply for two days in a week — Saturday and Sunday. This was adversely affecting production. “The second alternative is for us to set up our own solar units and draw power,” he said.

A presentation done in this regard during the open house said the cost of conventional power was Rs 3.50 to Rs 4 per unit, while the cost of solar power was pegged at Rs 1.50 per unit.

KASEZ is spread over 400 hectares in Gujarat and has 255 functional units that employ 27,000 workers. “We will be meeting on October 15 at Kandla. We are hiring a consultant who will do a techno-commercial feasibility of the power utilisation in our SEZ. We will go for the best option….The power from conventional sources provided by the state discoms is expensive, so why should we go for it,” Chandra later told mediapersons.

During the open house, when industry representatives from Kandla complained of high lease rates charged by KASEZ, Chandra assured them the maintenance charges will be cut by 50 percent and that the lease rates were three times less than those charged by APSEZ, and also lower than some of the other government operated SEZs.

Source : indianexpress