Brisbane, Nov 16 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday strongly called for a global effort to make clean energy available to all through concerted actions.

"Let us make an ambitious and innovative effort to make renewable, especially solar energy, competitive with conventional energy," he said at the G20 Summit here.

"In Gujarat, the canal-top project worked well and saved water, too," he added.

Built at a cost of over $16 million, the 10 MW Narmada canal top solar photovoltaic project will produce 16.2 million units of electricity in the first year into the grid. The power will be used in five pumping generators located along the Saurashtra branch canals for lift schemes.

The Gujarat government recently completed this project to save land and water evaporation. It was listed among the World's top 100 infrastructure projects by international accounting firm KPMG.

Another 1 MW solar power plant is already a successfully operating on another stretch of the Narmada canal.

Seeking a collective R&D effort and collaboration on clean energy, Modi urged the leaders of major economies to set up a "global virtual centre" for clean energy research and development, with adequate public funding for collaborative projects in diverse sources of clean energy, smart grids and energy efficiency.

"In countries like India, there are vast opportunities for those wishing to invest in clean coal technology, since our dependence will not reduce very soon," Modi said.

"G20 can be effective in promoting an integrated natural gas market, ensuring freer trade in gas and ensuring that the markets operate more efficiently," he added.