As part of promoting non-conventional energy, the government is setting up its first geothermal power project in Ladakh, Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said today.

“We are working on that. Our first project on geothermal with a capacity of 3 MW is coming up near Ladakh,” Abdullah told reporters here.

Noting that it was one of the major geothermal-based projects in the world, he said the Ministry will look at how such projects can be extended to other States.

On the use of Ethanol based fuel, he said the Ministry was looking at how five per cent of ethanol can be added.

“You should know Brazil has allowed 55 per cent. Even here some developers are ready to offer 20 per cent (to the government for the use of Ethanol)”, he said.

To a query on dumping of low quality products from China, the Minister said his Ministry was already working with the Commerce Ministry on how it can be avoided.”...I have asked the Ministry to have a check on it”, he said.

“Quality control must be essential”, he said.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Joint Secretary Tarun Kapoor said the Ministry was looking at the supply of products from China to India, which have comparatively low manufacturing cost.

Earlier, Farooq Abdullah formally launched the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment facility, which was set up at a cost of Rs 25 crore by Centre for Wind Energy Technology here.

Commenting on the SRRA facility, Abdullah said many solar developers were not sure on where to get solar data available.

Through this facility, a developer can get the data and set up a project at a location where there is more solar radiation.

“This facility put up by C-WET will help us find where the solar radiation is available, the speed of the wind and humidity of that area...,” he said.

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