The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has taken up the implementation of 17 distributed generation (DG) projects for electrification of remote villages through renewable energy sources, said Sushilkumar Shinde, union power minister in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

He said 90 per cent financial grant from the ministry of power has been provided for 14 pilot projects, two with grants from ministry of science and technology and one has been financed by the Oriental Insurance Co. Ltd.

The remaining 10-per cent funding for these projects had been provided by the NTPC-Foundation set up by NTPC to address niche domains for socio-economic initiatives.

Eight DG projects have been commissioned so far and nine are expected to be commissioned during this financial year 2007-08.