Bhubaneswar, October 10: In a major boost to Odisha's green workforce and clean energy transition, a dedicated Green Energy (Solar) Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be established at the Mancheswar campus of the World Skill Center (WSC) here. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the WSC and Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) on Monday.

Fully sponsored under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme of Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC), the initiative represents a total investment of Rs 1,48,75,009 spanning FY 2026–27 and FY 2027–28.

The facility was formally announced in the presence of the Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and the Industry, Skill Development & Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain marking a key milestone in aligning state capabilities with national climate goals.

The state-of-the-art Bhubaneswar facility, spanning roughly 3,000 square feet at Kaushal Bhawan, will feature hands-on demonstration units including rooftop solar, floating solar, and solar-tracker systems.

The CoE will integrate advanced domains such as Programmable Logic Controllers (PLC), SCADA, Industrial IoT, remote monitoring, digital twins, predictive maintenance, and Energy Management Systems (EMS). This practical, field-level exposure bridges the crucial gap between certification and industry readiness, tackling the skill constraints identified in recent sector reports.

Deputy CM Singh Deo said, “To widen access to world-class technical education, WSC is increasing its annual fully sponsored student count from 60 to 100 candidates starting this year. Furthermore, a proposal has been given to decentralize advanced skilling across the state, new World Skill Center branches to established in Berhampur and Sambalpur.”

Highlighting the State's vision for youth empowerment, the Minister Swain said, “The Centre of Excellence marks a transformative step in equipping our youth with future-ready skills in solar and green energy, ensuring Odisha leads the way in clean energy innovation and sustainable employment.”

Designed to train approximately 300 youth per year, the Centre will deliver specialized, job-ready programs for high-demand roles including Solar PV Technicians, Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Technicians, Site Supervisors, and Energy Auditors. The program is open to youth across all districts of Odisha, with targeted outreach for OHPC's operational areas, and actively promotes gender inclusion under SDG 5 to increase female participation in clean energy while fostering local entrepreneurship.

Additional Chief Secretary (Energy) Vishal Kumar Dev, Skill Development and Technical Education Secretary Bhupendra Singh Poonia, WSC Chief Executive Officer Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, OHPC Director (HR) Sandeep Pattnaik and other Senior officers were present in the MoU signing ceremony.