Coal secretary inaugurates 130 MW solar power project of NLCIL in Cuddalore of Tamil Nadu

CUDDALORE: As part of fulfilling its commitment towards the green initiative, NLCIL has crossed a significant milestone by commissioning the 130 MW solar power project at 33/110 KV Pooling Substation, Bock-14, Neyveli, on Monday.Chief guest Susheel Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, inaugurated it in the presence of Dr Sarat Kumar Acharya, CMD, NLCIL and functional directors of NLCIL,  Rakesh Kumar, Subir Das, V Thangapandian, P Selva Kumar, R Vikraman and CVO T Venkatasubramanian.

Susheel Kumar, said that NLCIL was significantly delivering its share in the renewable energy arena in line with the nation’s agenda of 175 Gigawatts Renewable Energy Generation as per the promises made in the Paris climate change agreement for rapid scaling up wind and solar power to 36% of the global energy mix by 2030.

Dr Acharya, in his address said that NLCIL played an effective role in protecting the environment and to support meeting the national targets on time, NLCIL had joined hands with the Government of India to establish 4,000 MW Solar Power Plants in various parts of the country as its share; and the process is moving on steadily.

This 130 MW Solar power project has been implemented in two blocks of 65 MW each. BHEL was engaged to execute one block of 65 MW with deployment of indigenous solar modules and Jakson Engineers Pvt Ltd. was entrusted with executing the other block.

The project is spread over four different locations within Neyveli and each site is connected to the pooling sub-station, established at a cost of Rs 38.10 crore by GE T&D Ltd. The total project cost works out to Rs 752.62 crore including viability gap funding of Rs 97.50 crore under the CPSU’s scheme of MNRE per annum from this 130 MW solar power project with capacity utilisation factor (CUF )of 19%. This power initiative is likely to reduce the loading of about 2.16 lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere compared to fossil fuel. This plant, using polycrystalline photovoltaic solar technology and the energy yield is expected to be 216.372 MU per annum and the entire power will be supplied to TANGEDCO. Long-term PPA has been signed at the preferential tariff of Rs 5.10 per unit for 25 years. Later, Susheel Kumar inaugurated 700 litre bucket wheel excavator at Mine-II, DM Plant, circulating water pump at New Neyveli Thermal Power Station and visited the solar project site.