Chandigarh Administration speeds up process for installation of 2 solar plants

Tribune News Service

Dushyant Singh Pundir

Chandigarh, May 4

The Chandigarh Renewable Energy and Science and Technology Promotion Society (CREST) has expedited the process of installation of two solar plants in the city.

The executive committee of CREST today approval a tender for setting up of a 2 MWp floating solar power plant at the Sector 39 waterworks and a 800 kWp solar plant at the Sector 42 lake parking. In addition to producing power, the Sector 39 project will prevent the evaporation of up to 382 million litres of water annually and the Sector 42 lake project will also provide shelter to vehicles parked underneath it while generating electricity.

Debendra Dalai, Chief Executive Officer, CREST, said the 2MWp solar plant at the waterworks would be completed at a cost of Rs 11.70 crore, while the 800 kWp plant would cost nearly Rs 4.66 core. Both projects would be completed within four months, he said.

The Sector 39 waterworks plant of the Municipal Corporation (MC) could help earn a revenue of around Rs 1.38 crore annually. The plant will generate 28 lakh units per annum and will be set up under the CAPEX mode where all expenditure will be borne by CREST.

Of the total, 70 per cent of the revenue (Rs 97.21 lakh) will go to the UT Administration and 30 per cent (Rs 41.66 lakh) to the cash-starved MC.

As per the construction layout plan provided by the MC to the agency, the construction of a few water tanks is to be completed before the site will be handed over to CREST for installing the plant. The MC House has already approved the project. CREST is the agency for the implementation of various rooftop solar projects in the city.

The Science and Technology Department of the UT Administration will bear the entire cost of the project to come up on two water tanks.

The waterworks has eight tanks. This solar plant is initially planned on two tanks with a capacity of around 1 MW each and after that other tanks will be covered.

Dalai said the project would help meet the solar power target of the Administration.

The Administration has kept a target of 75 MW of solar power by August 2023 and efforts are being made to complete the target by identifying buildings for plants. As per records, the Administration has achieved 46.2 MW so far.

The green energy generated from the Sector 42 lake parking will meet the power requirement of the new building of the UT Secretariat in Sector 9.

A floating solar power plant, which will produce 500 kilowatts peak (kWp) of power will also be set up at the Dhanas lake.

Will also prevent water evaporation

In addition to producing power, the Sector 39 project will prevent the evaporation of up to 382 million litres of water annually and the Sector 42 lake project will also provide shelter to vehicles parked underneath it while generating electricity.

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