Bihar Signs Agreement with SECI; Rajgir, Gaya to Get 24X7 Green Power

The Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL) has signed an agreement with the Central Government owned PSU – Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) – in order to provide clean electricity to the two cultural centers and key tourist spots of Bodh Gaya and Rajgir. Bihar will be the first state in the country that will provide 24X7 clean and green electricity to two towns. The Power Sales Agreement was for 210 MW of green energy.

The agreement was signed in the presence of Sanjeev Hans, Principal Secretary, Energy, Bihar and also the Chairman and MD of BSPHCL and other officials of BSPHCL and SECI.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjeev Hans said, “Bihar has opted for a bundle power plan, using solar energy during the day and hydel power through pump storage facility in the evening to meet its full requirement of clean power for Rajgir and Bodh Gaya.”

The BSPHCL chief also held that the excess solar energy generated during the day will be used to run the turbines to pump and store water in the reservoir upstream and generate hydel pump storage power through it in the evening. As per the announcement, the generation of hybrid power will take place in Andhra Pradesh and will be available to Bihar by December 2023. The move will not just help the de-carbonisation of the grid but also fulfilling the regulatory purchase obligation of the state entity.

Hans added, “We will initially supply 24×7 green power to Rajgir, Bodh Gaya, and some important locations in Patna, like the Bihar museum, legislative assembly, Patna high court and the Vidyut Bhawan premises. This initiative with SECI will help Bihar earn the distinction of being a pioneer state in the country to provide 24×7 green power to its towns.”

He also said that SECI will replace about 700 million units per year of conventional energy with green power which in turn will reduce CO2 emission by about 630 million tonne per annum. The average cost of green power will be Rs 4.03 per kilowatt.

Suman Sharma, Managing Director, SECI, called the agreement a landmark initiative and said, “It is our collective commitment and desire to achieve the national commitment towards climate control.”