GPIL Announces Commissioning Of 70 MWp Solar Plant In Chhattisgarh

In one of the key developments in the solar power sector, Godawari Power and Ispat Limited (GPIL) has announced that its 70 MWp (megawatt-peak) captive solar photovoltaic power plant at Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh is now commercially operational.

The information has come through a regulatory filing by GPIL. “70 MWP Captive Solar PV Power plant of the Company situated at Rajnandgaon, Chhallisgarh has commissioned and duly synchronized with the grid and charged on 6th August” said the

The renewable energy produced in the newly constructed Solar Power Plant will be consumed captively that will allow GPIL to meet its enhanced power requirement for the integrated steel plant.

The filing also revealed that the solar energy will replace that costly energy that is currently purchased by GPIL from state discom. The steel manufacturer has also said that the solar energy project is a step towards strengthening the green initiatives of the company. The project will also help reduce the carbon footprint of GPIL.

Earlier this year, GPIL had planned to sell its 50 MW solar power plant to new entrant Virescent Infrastructure Investment Manager by saying that the solar thermal power plant is a ‘non-core asset’ for Godawari Power and Ispat. The size of the total deal was kept at about Rs 665 crore.

GPIL is a flagship entity of Hira Group of Industries which is based out of Raipur. The company deals in the production of steel industry. The company manufactures sponge iron, billets, Ferro alloys, captive power, wires rods (through subsidiary company), steel wires, Oxygen gas, fly ash brick and iron ore pellets.

Hira Group has also set up Godawari Green Energy Limited (GGEL) for the renewable energy sector as a subsidiary of GPIL to foray into  solar energy, geothermal energy, wind energy etc. GGEL has taken the first step by taking up a project to construct and operate a 50 MW Solar Thermal Power Project, in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.