Arunachal govt signs MoU with Norwegian firm for clean electricity generation

Itanagar, Jul 14 (PTI) The Arunachal Pradesh government on Tuesday inked an MoU with Norwegian firm Tidal Sail AS to implement a project to generate clean electricity directly from river currents, officials said. The 500-KW River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Project will be executed via the state's Centre for Earth Sciences & Himalayan Studies (CES&HS), and is backed by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) and Innovation Norway under the India-Norway Green Partnership. It aims to establish India's first River Kinetic Energy Demonstration Plant, utilising Norwegian technology to generate clean electricity directly from river currents without requiring heavy civil infrastructure, they said. Norway's Ambassador to India, May-Elin Stener, who was present on the occasion, emphasised that Arunachal Pradesh's unique river systems make it an ideal testing ground for pioneering river kinetic technologies. Stener also noted the growing cooperation between Norway and the frontier state in other critical sectors, including geothermal energy, geotechnical engineering, and sustainable infrastructure development. CES&HS Director Tana Tage said the project is a strategic step toward diversifying the state's renewable energy portfolio and providing off-grid, decentralised electricity solutions to remote, hard-to-reach pockets. PTI CORR RBT