Amidst differences in the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala over the implementation of the controversial Athirappilly hydro-electric project, Finance Minister Thomas Issac says that LED bulbs can be a much cheaper alternative to the hydel project which would entail massive ecological cost and economical burden.
The state could save more than 150% of electricity than what is projected to be generated from Athirappilly project by replacing the incandescent and CFL bulbs with LED bulbs, Isaac wrote on his Facebook page.
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Isaac’s LED alternative to Athirappilly has come up at a time when the Left government in Kerala is facing criticism from within and outside for standing for the hydro-electric project. Environmentalists and Communist Party of India (CPI), the second largest partner in the LDF ministry had strongly criticized the move for the hydel project.
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The minister’s post is based on the inputs he received from officials during a meeting on Thursday with the representatives of Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), Energy Management Centre, NABARD, ANERT and C-DIT to discuss the possibility of replacement of street lights and household lights with LED bulbs, for free. Almost 4.5 crore bulbs are being used across the state of which 90% is CFL. As much as 250 MW electricity could be saved by replacing these bulbs with LED at a cost of Rs 250 crores.
Thomas Isaac's logical alternative:
Cost of Athirappilly Hydro power project: Rs 1550 crore
Power generated: 150 to 170 MW
LED
Cost for replacing existing bulbs with LED bulbs: Rs 250 crore
Power saved: 250 MW
Also read: Kerala Power Minister bats for big projects
The projected production capacity of Rs 1500 crore Athirappilly project is between 150 - 170 MW. By replacing the electric bulbs, the state government can save almost 150% more of the energy that can be produced by implementing the Athirappilly project, the minister said.
The meeting also discussed a plan to tap solar power by installing roof top panels. In the first stage, solar grids will be mounted on the rooftops of government offices. NABARD is ready to fund Rs 200 crore for the project as grant from their Green Climate Fund. The plan is to produce 1000 MW of solar power in five years, said Isaac.
"But the solar power remains very costly. Producing 1MW solar energy will cost Rs. 7 to Rs. 10 crores. One unit electricity would cost Rs.5-6. A few years back it was Rs.8 per unit. Unless the cost of solar panels are brought down considerably, it would be difficult to depend on solar energy as a commercial alternative," the minister noted.
