New coal power plants in regions like Uttar Pradesh, in close proximity to ‘heavily polluted’ Delhi-NCR, are financially ‘risky, unnecessary and pose a health risk to millions’, even as cheaper electricity is available from renewable energy, a Greenpeace India analysis stated, on December 13, 2018. According to an official statement issued by Greenpeace India, the analysis focuses on the 1,320-megawatt Khurja super thermal power project (STP) in Bulandshahrof Uttar Pradesh.
“The analysis shows that the dramatic reduction in the cost of renewable energy – solar, wind or solar-wind hybrid projects – will not only offer cheaper, cleaner electricity to the region, but also be more financially secure for the project promoters and investors, as opposed to building a new coal-fired plant,” it said. It said that using the land footprint of the Khurja super thermal power plant as an example, the analysis looks at what a solar plant of the size and scale of the Khurja STP would entail, vis-à-vis parameters such as investment required, job growth, return on equity, electricity generation and avoided pollution.
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