Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), in collaboration with the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), organized a pre-event conference for Global Wind Day at the Welcome Hotel in Bhubaneswar today.

The speech of Shri Lalit Bohra, Joint Secretary* (MNRE) was read out by Dr. B. K. Mohanty, Director (Finance), IREDA, in which he emphasized the rapid development of renewable energy across India and highlighted the measures taken by the Government of India including the state of Odisha. According to the National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), India's onshore wind potential is estimated at 1,164 GW at 150 meters above ground level, with Odisha’s potential of 12 GW.

*Shri Bohra was unable to attend the conference in person

In his keynote address, Shri Pradip Kumar Das, CMD, IREDA highlighted Odisha's significant green energy potential and the promising opportunities within the state. He pointed out Odisha's potential to lead in green hydrogen projects, stressing the state's critical role in advancing sustainable energy initiatives. As of 31^st March 2024, IREDA has disbursed cumulative loans totalling Rs. 1,25,917 crores in renewable energy, with Rs. 26,913 crores disbursed to wind power projects nationwide. Specifically, Rs. 1,637 crores loan has been disbursed by IREDA towards renewable energy projects in Odisha. Shri Das also underlined Odisha's Renewable Energy Policy 2022, which aims to drive investments in clean energy, with a special focus on RE manufacturing and emerging technologies such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, and floating solar. He reaffirmed the vital importance of harnessing renewable energy for sustainable national development and encouraged renewable energy developers to seize the expanding opportunities in Odisha and other states.

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PIB | Kripa Shankar Yadav/Kshitij Singha