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India Panel Seeks Cheaper Loans to Make Hydel Projects Viable

The report recommends promotion of hydro power on the lines of solar energy.

India Panel Seeks Cheaper Loans to Make Hydel Projects Viable
Transmission towers stand near the Shin Kori nuclear facility, operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. Ltd., a unit of Korea Electric Power Corp. (Kepco), in Ulju, Ulsan province, South Korea. (Photographer: Jean Chung/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- India should provide long-term finance at lower interest rate to all hydro power projects for their viability and to keep tariff competitive with other generation sources, a lawmakers’ panel said in a report on Friday.

The report recommended promotion of hydro power on the lines of solar energy by making its purchase mandatory in overall consumption. India should categorize hydro power as renewable source of energy “as soon as possible,” the report says.

Hydro power has not got adequate attention as only 45.4 gigawatt is utilized against the total potential of 241 gigawatt, the report says, adding the share of hydro power in India’s energy mix is 13 percent.

To contact the reporter on this story: Anindya Upadhyay in New Delhi at aupadhyay22@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ramsey Al-Rikabi at ralrikabi@bloomberg.net, Tuhin Kar, Unni Krishnan

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