The proposed first solar power plant by the Singareni Collieries Company limited (SCCL) of 50 MW capacity is likely to come up in the Ramagundam-3 division of the Godavarikhani coal belt region in Peddapalli district soon.
Ever since, the Singareni management decided to go in for generating solar power and save power bills, the authorities zeroed in on the sprawling 250 acres of land on the outskirts of Mulkalapalli village of the Ramagundam-3 division.
The Singareni authorities inspected the site for setting up 50 MW solar power plant at a cost of ₹225 crore and sent the proposal to the corporate office.
As land belonging to Singareni WAS available in the Centenary Colony region, the authorities decided to set up the solar power panels and start generating power in coordination with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The first solar power plant of SCCL would come up in the region and later the second one in the Mandamarri coal belt region.
The SCCL management has decided to produce about 550 MW of solar power in a phased manner. SCCL has 11 coal divisions in the region and the management wants to set up solar plants of 50 MW capacity in each divison.
Officials said the management would leave no stone unturned to utilise the open places available for generating solar power including OCPs overburdened (OB) yards.
The setting up of solar power plants in the Singareni region would help the management save at least ₹24 crore per annum. Presently, the Singareni CColleries Company Limited is buying power from TS Transco. SCCL’s thermal power plant at Jaipur in Mancherial district has the capacity to produce 1,200 MW.
