Central Coalfields to Install Solar Plant of 80 MWp in FY2021

PC: SunAlpha Energy

Central Coalfields has announced that it is planning to install 80 MWp ground-mounted solar power plant in the ongoing fiscal year.

State-owned Coal India Ltd’s (CIL’s) arm Central Coalfields is planning to install 80 Megawatt peak (MWp) ground-mounted solar power plant in the ongoing fiscal year. Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) said that action has also been taken for the installation of solar plants on rooftops as green energy will reduce day-time demand.

“Apart from rooftop solar projects, CCL is in process of awarding work for 20 MWp solar power plant at Piparwar, which is expected to be installed in the current FY 2020-21,” the company said in its recent report. In addition, CCL is also planning “to install 80 MWp ground-mounted solar power plant at different command areas of CCL during FY 2020-21,” it said.

The projects, as per the report, will be set up on pre-identified barren and reclaimed free land.

BHEL has successfully commissioned 400 kilowatts peak (kWp) solar power plant at Darbhanga house, the headquarter of CCL. “Rooftop grid-connected solar power plants of total capacity 220 KWp, 125 KWp and 50 KWp…have been installed and commissioned,” it said.

To date, the firm has generated more than 7.2 lakh units of solar power with the installed solar power plants.

Recently, Navratna mining and thermal power Genco NLC India had announced that it had officially signed a pact with Coal India Limited (CIL) to form a joint venture (JV) to develop 5,000 megawatts (5 GW) of solar and thermal power assets across the country.

It was in November 2019, when the two firms had first indicated that they would be coming together to form a JV for Solar Power Generation of 3,000 MW and Thermal Power Projects of 2,000 MW capacity. The MoU was signed as a consequence of CIL being tasked to become a Net Zero energy company by the Ministry of Coal, a move that entails the company to generate 3,000 MW of solar power.

It was announced then as well that the solar projects would be set up in the identified barren and reclaimed free land of CIL and also across the country where land is available, requiring around 15,000 acres.