Shimla, Oct 14 Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of development projects worth Rs 116.28 crore in the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti in the remote and strategically important border areas of Himachal Pradesh.
He inaugurated the first solar power project of the state with a battery storage facility in Rongtong in the Kaza area of Spiti Valley. The 2 MW solar power plant with a 1 MWh Battery Energy Storage System, constructed at a cost of Rs 4.42 crore, is located at an altitude of approximately 3,600 metres above sea level.
The plant is expected to generate around 36 lakh units of electricity annually. The solar project construction began on May 30, 2023, and the plant was commissioned in December 2024, a statement issued here said.
It highlights the potential of solar energy in remote, high-altitude regions and demonstrates how suitable technology and efficient operational systems can promote clean power generation in the Himalayan areas.
The Chief Minister said that the solar power project would emerge as a new symbol of development in Spiti Valley. He said the Rongtong Hydel Power Project would be made fully functional, for which Rs 6 crore would be spent.
Recalling his first visit as a Chief Minister to Spiti in 2023, he said that the people of the area had raised concerns regarding the quality and reliability of electricity supply. He said commissioning the solar power project marked a significant step toward addressing these concerns and strengthening the region’s power infrastructure.
Sukhu also laid the foundation stones of 66/22 kV sub-stations at Sumdo in Kinnaur district and Kaza, with a combined project cost of Rs 47.95 crore.
(PTI News)
