India, Chile to enhance their cooperation in renewable energy: MNRE

CHENNAI: Indian renewable energy experts, and institutions like Centre for wind energy, solar energy centre, alternate hydro energy centre will soon work with Chile to help the country set up renewable projects.
The institutions will help the country with resource assessment of renewable energy sources, training of personnel and also preparation of projects for exploiting these technologies in Chile.
Farooq Abdullah, Union minister, ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE), in a meeting with Chilean energy minister Jorge Bunster during a recent visit to Chile, has also offered to arrange for training slots in India to Chilean scientists, engineers and technicians through the Indian Technical And Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The Indian minister expressed his country’s desire for a serious and meaningful cooperation with the entire Latin American region, especially Chile, in renewable energy and offered all possible assistance, a statement from the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said.
According to the PIB statement, Bunster informed the Indian minister that Chile is almost entirely dependent on imports for its energy needs and is therefore extremely keen to diversify its energy mix by introducing a large component of renewables. It has considerable potential in wind, hydro, solar and geothermal energy.
Bunster recognized India’s considerable achievements and strengths in renewable energy and noted that India had made large strides in the same. He expressed his government’s desire to set up a 50 MW Solar thermal generating capacity in the north of the country, the statement said.