In World’s First, Defunct Bengal Thermal Plant Is Being Converted Into Solar Station
Subhro Niyogi | TNN
Jamuria (Raniganj): In perhaps the first significant climate responsive project in South Asia, an abandoned thermal power plant has been converted into a mega solar power generating station. It’s quite likely the world’s only high carbon power unit being replaced by a zero-carbon one.The 2-MW project, the first in solar sphere to cross the megawatt threshold, is poised to give a huge fillip to India’s renewable energy ambitions and marks the culmination of “solar man’’ S P Gon Chaudhuri’s dream. Six years ago, the diminutive man won the Ashden award, popularly known as the Green Oscar.
“This is India’s empowerment in green energy and demonstrates the country’s intent and ability to be climate responsive in the energy sector. It has already catalysed commercial interest in solar power that has been shunned by private companies due to high capital investment and longer break-even period,’’ said Gon Chaudhuri, who is also the MD of West Bengal Green Energy Development Corporation (WBGEDC).
At present, capital investment in a solar plant is Rs 15-18 crore per mega watt—four times that of thermal at Rs 4-5 crore/MW. The cost is expected to reduce by half and efficiency double when nano technology is integrated in solar cells in about five years.
The project, located in Jamuria, 20 km from Asansol and 210 km from Kolkata, is in the heart of India’s coal belt. A 6 MW coal-based thermal power plant of Dishergarh Power Supply Co (DPSC) once stood on the eight-acre plot that is now the site of the solar project comprising 9,000 crystalline type solar modules of 230 watt each. The plant will generate three million units of electricity a year, enough to light 2,000 rural or 500 urban households.
The facility will save seven lakh tonnes of carbon dioxide emission a day. That’s as much CO2 as 2 MW thermal projects emit daily. The power that the solar plant will generate will be fed into DPSC’s grid for distribution to customers in the Asansol-Raniganj belt. The unique project could help Bengal reclaim its pioneer status in the power sector after nearly a century. Way back in 1897, the country’s first hydel project of 600 KW was set up at Sidrapong in Darjeeling.
At present, half the project has been completed with the 4,500 solar modules generating 1.25-mw electricity. WBGEDC is vetting proposals from several firms who have shown interest in setting up the other half of the project.
DPSC will buy power at Rs 5 per unit and the ministry of new and renewable energy resources will pay Rs 10 per unit as generation incentive. WBGEDC can earn a further 97 paise per unit through the sale of carbon credit that the project will accrue. Annual revenue is pegged at Rs 4.8 crore. The project is expected to play a crucial role in achieving the solar mission of 15,000 MW under the PM climate action plan. That is imperative with the Planning Commission projecting a capacity addition of 6.5 lakh MW from thermal, nuclear, hydel and gas by 2030, leaving a deficit of 1.5 lakh MW that only solar energy can meet.
The upcoming 2-MW solar power station in Jamuria, 210 km from Kolkata, is the dream of ‘Solar Man’ S P Gon Chaudhuri. The world’s first transformation of the high carbon thermal power unit into a zero-carbon solar plant will generate 3 million units of electricity, enough to light 2,000 rural or 500 urban households
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