Team News Riveting
Raipur, September 16
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the fourth Global Renewable Energy Investor’s Meet and Expo (RE-Invest 2024) in Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on Monday.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai attended the event and shared insights on the state’s ‘Clean and Green Energy’ initiatives.
Sai underscored Chhattisgarh’s significant role in contributing to Prime Minister Shri Modi’s ambitious target of producing 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030. He highlighted the state’s progress in solar, hydroelectric, and biogas energy and shared that 15 per cent of Chhattisgarh’s electricity currently comes from renewable sources, with plans to increase this to 45 per cent in the coming years.
Praising Prime Minister Modi’s leadership in promoting renewable energy, Sai stated this initiative would boost related industries and address global climate change challenges. He emphasised Chhattisgarh’s vast potential for renewable energy production, particularly in remote and forested regions, where the Chhattisgarh State Renewable Energy Development Agency (CREDA) is actively promoting solar and other non-conventional energy sources.
Sai shared that over 2,500 government buildings, residential schools, and health centres in Chhattisgarh are powered by solar energy. This achievement has garnered international recognition in 2018. He commended Prime Minister Suryaghar Yojana, which is enabling people to sell electricity rather than only consume it, with encouraging results seen in Chhattisgarh. The state has also launched awareness campaigns for the scheme through local camps in urban areas.
Among the state’s innovative renewable energy projects, Shri Sai mentioned a solar plant on railway land between Raipur and Bhilai that powers local trains and plans to set up a 100 kW geothermal power plant in Tatapani, Balrampur district. CREDA has already installed over 150,000 solar irrigation pumps and 230 solar-powered community irrigation systems across the state. Additionally, 25,000 solar drinking water pumps are providing clean water to 6.5 lakh families.
The state government has also commissioned small hydroelectric plants generating 75 MW of energy, with 37 more projects approved. Chief Minister Shri Sai affirmed Chhattisgarh’s commitment to contributing to the national goal of achieving zero carbon emissions by 2070.
He emphasised renewable energy’s pollution-free and sustainable benefits, adding that the world is moving in this direction, and Chhattisgarh is dedicated to increasing its use. The fourth Global Renewable Energy Investor’s Meet and Expo (RE-Invest) was organised by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and marked the first time the event was held outside Delhi, with over 40 sessions under the theme “Mission 500 Gigawatts.”
Various countries and Indian states participate in RE-Invest 2024
Indian states, including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh, along with international partners such as Australia, Denmark, Germany, and Norway, participated in the expo. RE-Invest is a key initiative by the Government of India to showcase the country’s renewable energy potential and attract global investment through multilateral dialogues.
Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Pralhad Joshi, Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa, along with Chhattisgarh’s Energy Department Secretary P Dayanand and CREDA CEO Rajesh Singh Rana, attended the event.
