Team News Riveting
Raipur, September 23
Joint collaboration of SAIL and NTPC, the 15-Mega-Watt capacity Floating Solar Plant commissioned by the NSPCL, at Maroda-1 Reservoir of SAIL-Bhilai Steel Plant, was inaugurated on Tuesday, marking a historic milestone as the first floating solar power project in Chhattisgarh.
Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra, Director I/c (SAIL-BSP), along with Dr Ashok Kumar Panda, Director (Finance-SAIL), inaugurated the project in the presence of Diwakar Kaushik, CEO (NSPCL) and Regional Executive Director (Western Region-II, NTPC Ltd.), Smt. Nilima Rani Singh, IG/CS (CISF), Smt. Piyali Sharma, DIG/CS (CISF), A K Chakraborty, ED (MM), Praveen Nigam, ED (F&A-BSP) and Director (NSPCL), Pawan Kumar, ED (HR), B K Giri, ED (Mines), Rakesh Kumar, ED (Works), B K Behera, CGM I/c (M&U), Tapas Dasgupta, CGM I/c (Iron), Rajiv Pandey, CGM (Power Facilities-BSP) and Director (NSPCL), along with IPS Nagendra Nath Tripathi, DIG (CISF-BSP), Abhijit Kumar, Commandant (CISF-BSP), and other dignitaries.
The commissioning was marked by the unveiling of the inauguration plaque after puja rituals, and the release of balloons into the sky. The dignitaries also planted saplings on this occasion, delivering the message of environmental conservation through this project
This 15 MW Floating Solar Project, spread across 80 acres of Maroda-1 reservoir, is built at a cost of Rs. 111.35 crore, and will generate approximately 34.25 Million Units (MU) of clean electricity annually. The entire power output will be used as captive power by Bhilai Steel Plant, thereby reducing 28,400 tons of CO₂ emissions and saving 0.23 lakh tons of coal every year. The project will also conserve reservoir water by reducing evaporation and create local employment opportunities.
Addressing the gathering, Chitta Ranjan Mohapatra, Director I/c (SAIL-BSP), congratulated the SAIL and NSPCL collective, calling the project a landmark step towards supplying green energy to the Plant. He added that upon successful completion and performance assessment of the Maroda-1 project, a similar initiative would be undertaken at the Maroda-2 reservoir, he added. “Solar energy is a clean and eco-friendly source of power, and it will not only help us reduce our carbon footprint but also ensure a cleaner, greener, and sustainable future for generations to come,” said Shri. Mohapatra.
Dr A K Panda, Director (Finance-SAIL), congratulated the collective and expressed pride in being part of one of its first kind of floating solar project in SAIL. He underlined the importance of renewable energy for the steel sector, which exerts significant pressure on the environment. “Solar power, being abundant and green, must be promoted as an essential tool in India’s and SAIL’s journey towards de-carbonisation and ethical steel production. At the same time, we must ensure that this floating solar plant remains resilient and functional even under adverse climatic conditions such as heavy rains and storms,” remarked Dr. Panda.
At the outset, Diwakar Kaushik, CEO (NSPCL), delivered the Welcome Address, highlighting the project’s significance and appreciating the collaboration between SAIL and NSPCL. Vikas Jain (NSPCL) presented technical highlights of the project. The programme was compered by Sam K Abraham, HR Officer (NSPCL), while the Vote of Thanks was proposed by Shri. Neel Kumar Sharma, GM (NSPCL) and Head of the 15 MW Project.
It may be recalled that the project was conceptualised by Rajiv Pandey, CGM (Power Facilities-BSP) and Director (NSPCL), and approved by Dr A K Panda, the then ED (F&A-BSP) and Director (NSPCL). The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for this project was signed on 09th May 2024, while the foundation stone of this project was laid on 30th June 2024. Implemented with the support of M/s Madhav Infra Projects Ltd. and M/s Quant Solar, the project represents a major step under SAIL’s Green Steel initiative and significantly reduces the carbon footprint of Bhilai Steel Plant.
