Joykumar inaugurates roof-top solar power plant

Our Correspondent

Imphal, May 23(EMN): Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh inaugurated the third rooftop solar power plant for Uripok constituency on May 23 Wednesday at Basketball Ground cum community hall of youth club at Uripok Achom Leikai in Imphal.

Speaking on the occasion, Joykumar Singh said that the electricity power has been an essential component of our life. He said, ‘with the increasing population, consumption of power has also increased from time to time. In such a situation, power generation from alternative sources like solar energy, rather than hydro or other mineral resources, should be made in large scale.’

Singh said that the rooftop solar power plants being installed at different places are an ‘ambitious joint undertaking’ being taken up by Manipur Renewable Energy Development Agency (MANIREDA) with Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDCL) which it will help reduce energy consumption from power grids.

Joykumar Singh added that under the project, 35 sites within Uripok constituency in Imphal West district have been identified for the first phase to install such power plants. He said, documentation and other related works for the 18 sites have been completed and installation works at three different sites have also been completed and started generating power. Another three or four plants will also be installed in a few days.

On May 15, the second rooftop with a generating capacity of five kilowatts was inaugurated at the office premises of United Club and Library at Uripok Khwairak Selungba Leirak in Imphal. These power plants will generate power from solar energy for street lighting. It was also installed by the MANIREDA as a part of the ongoing solar energy generation project jointly undertaking with MSPDCL. The plant has a capacity to generate five kilowatts of power each and will provide power to around 80 street lamps in the area.

Singh appealed to the people to cooperate with this initiative so that street lighting, at almost all areas under Uripok constituency in Imphal, can be made possible without any extra charges.

According to the director of MANIREDA, L Manglem Singh, the grid connected rooftop solar power plants is an ambitious project which can generate power for consumption. On the other hand, the excess power generated can also be sold to power grid. He said the project with a life span of 25 years will definitely help to reduce power consumption from grids and also to generate revenues as well.