SMC to meet 35% power demand via renewable sources

Surat: The Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is probably the only municipal corporation in the country that has developed infrastructure to produce almost 35% of its annual energy demand through renewable sources.
SMC is producing electricity through wind, solar and biogas-based power plants. Functioning at their full capacity, these plants can generate total 51-megawatt (MW) electricity annually.
Another green power generating unit will be added to the SMC’s list when chief minister Bhupendra Patel inaugurates SMC’s seventh wind power plant (WPP) of 6.3 MW on Friday. The plant has been set up at cost of Rs 42.45 crore in Sukhsan village of Kutch. It can generate 1.82 crore units annually and has a lifespan of 20 years.
SMC’s annual power demand is 28 crore units while its renewable energy production capacity is 9.9 crore units.
“SMC is probably the only municipal corporation that has developed renewable energy infrastructure that can produce 35% of its annual energy requirement. We are consistently working on this front while also focusing on innovations to further improve renewable energy production,” said city municipal commissioner, Banchhanidhi Pani.
SMC setup its first WPP in November 2010 at Gosa village in Porbandar and since then a total six WPP have been developed in Jamnagar, Porbandar and Kutch. Total production of power through WPP is 38.7 MW. SMC has also developed 7 MW solar power plants and 5.35 MW biogas power plants.
“By producing renewable energy, we have managed to bring down our annual greenhouse gas emission by 70,000 tonnes. It is a major contribution to counter the effects of climate change,” said K H Khatwani, additional city engineer, SMC.
SMC has so far invested Rs 216 crore for setting up of renewable power generation plants. Against the investment it has earned revenues of Rs 254 crore after deducting the operational costs, sources in the civic body said. The previously installed power plants will remain operational for the next 13 years.
“As part of innovations, we are exploring how we can install solar power plants in the city,” Pani added.