Large Indian rural electrification project awaits funding

The go-ahead for a rural electrification project covering 196 Indian villages in the state of Uttar Pradesh is hanging in the balance as the planners seek funding.

The International Center for the Application of Solar Energy (CASE), an agency set up by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the government of Western Australia, says the project to provide hybrid energy sources to the villages, most likely primarily PV, has been under discussion since 1999. Gordon Thompson, CASE's managing director, says that the Uttar Pradesh Non-conventional Energy Development Agency (NEDA) and the Indian government have already given a number of approvals, but the project awaits major funding from a "donor source," which Thompson declined to identify. "We will definitely know one way or the other within nine months." The project already has a commitment of 360 million INR ($7.4 million) from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). "In terms of total dollar amount, it will be one of the bigger renewable projects for remote areas," says Thompson. Once funding is in place and assessments of village needs have been carried out, he says competitive bids will be tendered for equipment.

Gordon Thompson
gthompson@case.gov.au

William P. Hirshman
© PHOTON International, June 2002