Bhel to set up 5-mw solar power plant in Haridwar

Haridwar: To encourage the use of sustainable energy through non-conventional resources, BHEL Haridwar is setting up a 5 MW grid interactive Solar PV power plant near its 132 KV sub-station. General Manager (Incharge) HEEP Sanjay Gulati & General Manager (Incharge) CFFP Rajiv Mehra performed the "Bhoomi Pujan" of this ambitious project here at Haridwar on Monday.

Addressing the gathering, Sanjay Gulati said that sustainable energy produced from non-conventional resources is the future of power in India. He said that preservation of our environment is the need of the hour and enhanced focus on production of green energy is the best way out. Government of India is also promoting renewable energy infrastructure in the country in a big way, he added. Rajiv Mehra said that current scenario in the country is favourable to addition of clean energy projects like solar power plants.

It is notable that once commissioned, this plant shall generate about 92 lakh units of electricity in a year which will meet about 20 percent of electricity demand of HEEP unit of BHEL Hardwar, resulting in a reduction in its annual electricity bill by approximately Rs. 4.75 crores. All the major plant equipment like Solar Panels, Power Conditioning Units, Sun trackers and Vacuum Circuit Breakers shall be manufactured by various units of BHEL. In order to maximize power generation, solar panels corresponding to 1.25 MW capacity shall be mounted on trackers which will follow the Sun throughout the day while another 1.25 MW capacity will have simple East-West trackers and the rest 2.5 MW will have fixed Module Mounting Structures.

The company is presently executing over 180 MW of ground-mounted and rooftop Solar PV projects across the country. The company has enhanced its state-of-the-art manufacturing lines of solar cells to 105 MW and solar modules to 226 MW per annum.

Various General Managers, senior officials, union representatives and a large number of employees were present on this occasion.