On June 16th, Mr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Chief Minister of Assam, said that his state was aiming to produce 3,000 MW of solar power by 2027 after he laid the foundation stone of a 25 MW solar power plant at Namrup in Dibrugarh. It must be mentioned that Assam produces a paltry 419 MW of power and purchases around 2,100 MW on a daily basis.
The Namrup solar power plant, a joint venture between Assam Power Generation Corporation and Oil India Limited, is expected to be built at a cost of Rs 115 crore and is said to contribute to the state’s multi-pronged strategy to move towards a green energy regime by July 2025. CM Sarma said, “Initiatives such as the solar power project at Namrup will augment the state’s power generation capacity and will contribute greatly towards reducing reliance on power purchased from outside the state.”
The CM illustrated how seven solar power plants are functional in the state at present, producing 175 MW of power daily. The power plants in Sonitpur district’s Barchalla and Dhubri district’s Khudigaon are at various stages of development, while the construction of the 1,000 MW solar power plant at Karbi Anglong shall begin soon.
