By IANS,
Agartala : India’s northeastern states are keen on setting up a power stock exchange in the region on the lines of Nord pool, the world’s first multinational exchange for trading power in the Scandinavian market, Tripura Power Minister Manik Dey has said.
Power ministers of the electricity-starved seven northeastern states are now on a week-long visit to Norway to study the possibilities of setting up the power stock exchange and pick up tips on power marketing and ensuring energy efficiency.
“We will study their (Norway’s) power exchange and power marketing system, integrated grid operation, and energy efficiency initiatives,” Dey told IANS on phone from New Delhi before leaving for Oslo Sunday.
“After our visit, senior officials will go to NOrway to finalise the technicalities,” he said.
Norway has the world’s largest per capita hydropower production, and is the sixth largest hydropower producer in the world. Nord Pool, the power stock exchange that has interested the northeastern states, is the single power market for Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland.
The ministerial delegation is headed by Assam Power Minister Pradut Bordoloi, who is also the chairman of the North Eastern Regional Power Committee, the policy making power body of the region.
According to the state-owned North Eastern Electric Power Corp (Neepco), the region has the potential to generate nearly 59,000 MW of hydropower, or about 40 percent of the country’s total hydropower potential.
“In spite of huge potential, the region ranks lowest in the country in terms of per capita energy consumption. This has been mainly due to inhospitable climatic conditions, remote location and inaccessibility of geographical locations,” says a Neepco document.
“Out of the region’s 58,971 MW hydro power potential, less than 2 percent (1,095 MW) has so far been harnessed,” it added.