CHANDIGARH: The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) has approved the ambitious project of the Chandigarh administration to install a 15 megawatt solar plant in the city.
The project will come up at MC water works in Sector 39, which receives water from Bhakra Canal on a daily basis. The UT administration has already explored modalities and related exercises.
Even though this will be the city’s biggest ever solar plant, to be built at a cost of Rs 80 crore to Rs 90 crore, the authority will not spend anything on it. The private company of the developer selected for the project will work on it and sell electricity to the MC for 25 years.
“We have received approval for the project from Jerc. It is a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) project, where the Chandigarh administration will not spend money. A company will be selected for the process through tender process. After the project is completed, the company will sell power to the MC for at least 25 years”, said Santosh Kumar, UT’s director environment and CEO, Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science & Technology Promotion Society (Crest).
“We are also looking for 25% subsidy on the project from the ministry of new and renewable energy. This will be the biggest solar plant project in the city. Since it is coming up on MC land, their role will be crucial”, Kumar said.
The department of environment, Crest and MC, Chandigarh have already explored project modalities at the selected site in Sector 39, which was chosen because it has maximum open area.
“As per the initial exercise, there are seven big open tanks inside the Sector 39-based water works. As per the plan, the solar panels will be installed on them with the support of iron grills. The panels will be installed in such a way that they receive proper heat and do not affect water storage or supply. Since all the seven open tanks are quite big, the minimum area of each tank is around 100 feet by 100 feet”, said an MC official.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes
