SCCL has succeeded in lowering electricity costs by 35% thanks to captive solar power plants installed in its coal mine regions.
Hyderabad: The Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), which has led reforms and creative initiatives, is currently working to create an example in the use of renewable energy and lowering carbon emissions. The company’s attempts to switch to renewable energy have assisted in cutting carbon emissions as well as significant power bill costs.
SCCL has succeeded in lowering electricity costs by 35% thanks to captive solar power plants installed in its coal mine regions. The corporation used to spend over Rs. 500 crore per year on electricity bills, but since its solar power plants started generating power, the cost of power consumption has dropped significantly by almost Rs. 200 crore.
The firm used 2 million units of electricity each day, of which 1 MU came from its captive solar facilities, according to NVK Viswanadha Raju, the company’s head (E&M) Power Projects. The business operates 219-watt solar plants in eight different locations. This is not including the 300 MW worth of plants that were slated to be built in the first phase. According to him, 1.5 MU of electricity will be produced each day after the remaining 81 MW solar power plants started producing power. Currently, 1 MU of power was produced each day through these plants.
“By the end of this year, we hope to have finished construction on the 81 MU solar facility. The firm would save close to Rs. 250 crore on power expenses once these facilities start generating power, he added.
Once this 81 MU plant is complete, SCCL has a proposal to build another 130 MW solar plant in the coal mine location, and once they start producing power, the company will not have to buy electricity from power companies, according to Viswanadha Raju.
According to him, the extra electricity produced by solar power plants was being transferred to the grid and used or adjusted to the consumption tariff as needed.
He said that SCCL Chairman and Managing Director N Sridhar planned to add 800 MW units to its current 2 600 MW thermal power plant and also additional 1,500 MW solar plants in the mining areas. “Our objective is to become a zero carbon emission firm,” he said.
