Vijayawada: Department of Industries has appealed to all MSMEs in AP to improve energy efficiency at their unit levels to benefit themselves and the state.
Special chief secretary (Industries) Karikal Valaven ordered District Industrial Centres to motivate industries and MSMEs to go for energy audits and see where energy could be saved. For the purpose, they can utilise the services of AP State Energy Efficiency Development Corporation Limited (APSEEDCO), he stated.
As per an estimate of Industries Department, energy efficiency measures within MSMEs and large industries in AP will help to save around 2,000 million units (MUs) of energy worth Rs 1,200 crore. The senior official pointed out that this is a great opportunity for industries in the state to reduce their own expenditure and improve competitiveness.
Explaining the importance of conducting energy studies, State Industries Department commissioner J.V.N. Subramanyam said APSEEDCO is identifying energy and monetary saving potential within the state and recommending cost-effective energy-efficiency measures to industries, particularly MSMEs.
Subramanyam explained that the industrial sector consumed around 17,000 MUs of energy, the MSMEs share being 5,000 MU. Even if 10 percent energy is saved, 500 MU could be saved per annum.
The commissioner said state government is focusing on strengthening MSMEs. It has so far credited Rs 1,124 crore as incentives for MSMEs and textile units across the state, benefitting 97,423 units employing over 12 lakh employees.
State Energy Conservation Mission has conducted a pilot energy audit at two fishery units – Ananda Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. and. Kader Exports. It identified energy savings to the tune of 1.45 MUs with investment of Rs 1.37 crore, which gets a payback within about one year. In the process, it also reduces 1,306 tonnes of carbon-di-oxide emissions.
