Chhattisgarh Inaugurates 15MW Floating Solar Plant

The first floating solar power installation in Chhattisgarh was inaugurated on Tuesday, marking a historic occasion in Bhilai. In partnership with SAIL and NTPC, NSPCL established a 15 megawatt floating solar plant, which was put into service at the Bhilai Steel Plant's (BSP) Maroda-1 Reservoir.

Senior officials and dignitaries from SAIL, NTPC, NSPCL, and CISF attended the inaugural ceremony. The inauguration plaque was unveiled, customary ceremonies were performed, and balloons representing a cleaner and greener future were released to kick off the ceremony.

On the occasion, dignitaries also planted trees, highlighting the project's environmental conservation message. The project, which was constructed at a cost of Rs. 111.35 crore and spans 80 acres of the reservoir, is expected to produce approximately 34.25 million units of clean electricity each year.

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By using this power as captive energy, Bhilai Steel Plant will save over 23,000 tons of coal annually and cut down on about 28,400 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. By lowering evaporation, the plant will also contribute to water conservation and generate new jobs in the area. Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra, the director in charge of the Bhilai Steel Plant, referred to the initiative as a historic step in providing the plant with green energy during his speech.

He stated that following the successful execution of this project, a like program would commence at the Maroda-2 reservoir. "Solar energy is environmentally friendly and will provide a cleaner, greener and sustainable future," he stated. Director (Finance-SAIL) Ashok Kumar Panda congratulated the teams and explained that renewable energy is critically important for reducing the environmental impact of steel sectors. He stated that the floating solar plant must be made resilient to face challenges such as heavy rain and storms.