New Delhi, Feb 21 (IANS) Setting an amitious goal, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is planning to meet all its energy requirements from clean solar energy.
Speaking to IANS, Anuj Dayal, Executive Director (corporate communications), DMRC, said, “Delhi Metro is a pioneer in the Metro sector in solar power generation. It is currently producing over 32 MW of solar power through rooftop solar plants at its premises.”
Some of its solar power plants are installed at Dwarka Sector 21, Anand Vihar, Pragati Maidan, Yamuna Bank, Yamuna Bank Depot, ITO, Ajronda Depot, Bata Chowk, Escorts Mujesar and Faridabad Metro stations.
These solar power plants have been installed under the Renewable Energy Supply Company (RESCO) model. Unlike a solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) model, wherein the consumer owns the system and invests upfront, the RESCO model is a zero-investment model.
Under the RESCO model, the solar plant is owned by the RESCO developer who makes the capital investment and the consumer (in the present case, the DMRC) pays only for the electricity generated.
The DMRC has signed the power purchase agreement (PPA) for 25 years which means that it shall only pay energy charges for the actual energy generated at the levellised tariff rates (which are fixed for 25 years) determined under the PPA.
For instance, DMRC is already sourcing power from the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL) in Madhya Pradesh under the RESCO model.
RUMSL is a solar power plant in Rewa district in Madhya Pradesh with a total solar plant capacity of 750 MW. It is one of the largest single-site solar power plants in India and the world. The power received from Rewa is utilised for operational as well as auxiliary power requirements of the Delhi Metro.
In January, the DMRC had issued a tender, inviting bids from the eligible bidders, for the commissioning of a 2 MW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) power project under the RESCO model at the staff quarters and other RCC buildings of DMRC in Delhi.
The estimated cost of the 2 MW project is Rs 7.2 crore and the selected developers will have a period of 12 months to complete the project. The last date for bid submission is February 23, 2021 and the technical bids will be opened on February 24.
By the end of 2021, DMRC plans to phase out thermal electric generation resources by energy from the sun, aiming to become a zero carbon emitter.
Even as of now, it saves carbon emission of 20,850 tonnes per annum. In this process, the DMRC will act as a template for India to follow and fulfil India’s binding commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
As the scale of use of solar energy will increase, the tariff charges per unit will also go down drastically, which will lead DMRC towards achieving its goal of 100 per cent electrification through solar energy.
–IANS
awd/arm