Power supply to CHT

bringing power to a much needed area, which lacks in development because of paucity of power.

It could be quite true that availability of power by extending the national grid though the hilly terrain to remote small localities may not be economically viable as maintained by a consultant in the workshop. However, this alone need not rule the case out, considering the potential economic growth contribution.

Considering the terrain, scattered load points and other logistic shortfall it could be logical to have on spot mini power plants with associated localised power grid. These generation units should have possibly hundred percent redundancy due to the adverse circumstances of the CHT, principally because of terrain and distance from repair, replacement, trouble shooting and repairing expertise.

However, solar energy as a power option which was proposed is not the best. I personally feel that wind energy could be a better option. While solar energy is limited to hours of sunlight and also cloud free sky; wind energy can provide power irrespective of sunlight or cloud. On a very rough estimate, solar energy may be available around 2200 hours in a year which represents only 25 percent availability! In contrast wind energy availability should be much higher. Exact availability may be extrapolated from historic meteorological date; which hopefully is available.

However, whichever route we adopt, the crux of the reality is that investment cost per KWH is bound to be higher compared to conventional power projects. We must at all time bear this in mind and not just negate the proposal on simple mathematical feasibility model. This could well be the case as the proposal undertakes it laborious route through various ministries prior to getting positive governmental nod.