Singareni Collieries Will Install 1,000 MW Solar Power Plants In Telangana

The renewable quest of Telangana has received a shot in the arm with Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) – one of the key players in the energy sector in that part of the country – coming up with plans for a massive solar power push. In a fresh development, the company is mulling to establish new capacity of 1000 MW of solar power plants in the state.

So far, the company has already completed and commissioned 219 MW solar power plants. SCCL Chairman and Managing Director N Sridhar had a review meeting and is learnt to have instructed the officials to prepare proposals for establishing 1,000 MW solar plants. These proposals will be submitted to the government for approval.

Once the government gives its nod for the projects, the proposed solar plants shall be installed on the government land only – those lying vacant or remain unused for long. The CMD has also asked his officials to complete the works on installing a 15 MV solar power floating plant on Singareni Thermal Power Plant (STPP) reservoir. It’s believed that it will be accomplished by this May.

SCCL was the first coal company in the country that entered into thermal and solar power generation along with coal production. Counting its achievements, Sridhar apprised that the SCCL had installed 219 MW solar power in the coal belt region until now. This drive led to generation of 21.29 crore units of power and saved power bills to the tune of Rs 65.27 crore.

The CMD has informed that he has also instructed officials to complete the tendering process for the third phase of 66 MW solar power plants by coming April. STPP had generated power at 90 per cent Plant Load Factor (PLF) in the last five months and emerged as the number one thermal station in India. Compared with the first 10 months of the last financial year, the STPP has generated 7,737 million units of power by registering a growth of 25 per cent in the first 10 months of the current Financial Year, he said.

Overall, the company said that it has drawn up action plans to start 10 new projects in two years with an investment of Rs 8,000 crore. This also includes a reasonable share for solar power.