Norwegian PM visits Scatec Solar’s rural electrification project in Rampura, India

INDIA: The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, recently made a visit to Rampura in Uttar Pradesh, the first village to get a Community Solar Power Plant by Scatec Solar.The visit comes as the company, together with Indian and Norwegian governments, is about to launch the scaling-up of the solar energy project for rural electrification in India. Indian and Norwegian governments in partnership with Scatec Solar will jointly finance the expansion from two to 32 villages, impacting approximately 1,800 families.

With technology from Norway and sun from India, this project proves that private companies, government organisations and rural communities can work together to achieve sustainable development, said the Prime Minister. He is in India for talks with the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh and to attend the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit where he will deliver a keynote address.

He took the opportunity to visit Rampura to examine the opportunities solar energy represents in bringing climate friendly power to areas that currently have no access to electricity.

In 2008, Scatec Solar took the initiative to develop a sustainable and scalable model for off-grid solar systems in rural areas. After a successful implementation of solar systems in two villages, Rampura and Gopalpura respectively, another 30 villages in India will now have Community Solar Power Plants (CSPPs) installed.

The project target is to install approximately 300 kWp in 30 villages not currently connected to the electricity grid. In total this will have an impact on approximately 1800 families.