India
The DMRC will get 24 per cent of the electricity generated from 750 Mega Watt Rewa Ultra Mega Power Project from October onwards
The step indicates massive savings to the Delhi metro because of per unit cost of power reducing from over Rs 4.50 to Rs 3.67
Using solar power will also help reduce growing pollution in the National capital because of the use of thermal power
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation had signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMSL) to get green power to run its trains in the national capital. The project had achieved one of the lowest bids in auctions held in February.
DMRC will start getting green power from the Madhya Pradesh-based RUMSL in the next two months, the first project in the country to supply power to an inter-state open access customer.
The 750MW project in Rewa district, spread over an area of 1,590 acres, is among the largest single-site solar power plants in the world. Today, in India there is a total of 12,200 MW of installed solar power capacity. The renewable energy has seen a growth of over 370 per cent.
Madhya Pradesh Renewable Energy Principal Secretary Manu Srivastava said that the DMRC would get around 25 per cent of the total power generated by the RUMSL.
"The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will get green power from the Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Ltd (RUMS) within the next two months," Srivastava said. He said the RUMSL has started generating 10 MW power from July 6 this year.
"The project is estimated to meet 90 per cent of the daily electricity demand of the DMRC. Besides, it would save Rs 1,400 crore of Delhi Metro in the next 25 years," Srivastava added. He said the DMRC would pay around Rs 3.67 for per unit of solar power, including the transmission charge.
The DMRC is currently buying power at Rs 7 per unit. The Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Ltd, which supplies power to the state discoms, will get 76 per cent of the power produced from the Rewa solar power plant, while the DMRC will benefit from the remaining 24 per cent.
Speaking about the operational status of the RUMSL, the top officer said that major works at the plant have been completed while fixing of solar panels is going on. He said RUMSL will go full steam by this year-end.
"RUMSL is the joint venture between the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam (MPUVN) which has roped in private players in setting up the plant," said Srivastava who is also the managing director of MPUVN. Under the plant, three units of 250 MW each will produce a unit of green energy for less than Rs three, he added. Competitive bidding will also help achieve lowest electricity tariff rates.
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