Coimbatore to cut down power expenses with solar power

COIMBATORE, Tamil Nadu: The Coimbatore Corporation has approved the installation of a 25 MegaWatt solar power generation unit at the Vellalore compost yard at a cost of ₹ 150 crore.

The corporation is currently spending around ₹ 10 crore per month for street light electricity in the 100 wards. This substantial financial burden has led the corporation to consider adopting solar power as a means to cut down on power tariff expenses.

The Kavundampalayam area currently has a five MegaWatt (MW) solar power generation unit in operation. The next phase for the civic body involves installing an additional unit at the Vellalore compost yard with a capacity to generate 25 MegaWatt of power.

M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran, Commissioner, Coimbatore Corporation, stated that the electricity generated at the Vellalore compost yard would be sent to Podanur sub-station and the cost would be adjusted in the bills that the corporation would get to power its street lights. A Detailed Project Report (DPR) was getting ready and would be sent to the State government.

Prabhakaran further added that a project would also be executed to generate power from the 600 metric tonnes of garbage at the dump yard. In addition, a DPR was ready to upgrade the dump yard for fixing the latest machinery costing ₹245 crore. Once the project is implemented, the residents of Vellalore could heave a sigh of relief from the nauseating smell and the frequent fire accidents causing smoke at the dump yard could be averted.