JNPT harnessing solar power to reduce dependence on fossil fuels

Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), India's largest container port, plans to increasingly harness solar energy and reduce its dependency on conventional electricity from the grid. JNPT is installing solar power plant on several rooftops in its township and commercial premises.

JNPT is installing 822 KW (peak generation) of solar rooftop capacity at an estimated cost of Rs4.5 crore, which will generate around 4.95 lakh units of electricity in year 1, contributing to about 40 per cent of present consumption and thereby saving around Rs0.54 crore of electricity expense for JNPT in the first year.

This green initiative by JNPT is part of its push towards maximising use of most sustainable energy. Rooftop solar plants allow the use of roof of buildings, an area which is otherwise left unused, for sustainable energy generation.

JNPT expects financial savings with the initiative of investing on rooftop solar within 2.5 years as it would reduce dependence on high-cost grid electricity that costs around Rs14 per unit.

JNPT is installing 822 KWp of solar rooftop capacity at an estimated cost of Rs4.5 crore, with a 15-per cent subsidy from SECI (part of the ministry of new and renewable energy). The 822 KWp project once commissioned will generate around 9.9 lakh units of electricity thereby saving around Rs1.08 crore of electricity expense for JNPT in the first year. Out of this, 411 KWp will be commissioned on rooftops at JNPT premises, ie, hospital- 234 KW, St Mary School- 45.6 KW, IES School- 36 KW in the township and Port User Building (PUB)- 96 KW.

The renewable energy of 234 KW generated from rooftop solar installation at hospital has capacity of 25,350 KWh per month and  is contributing 80% of approximate present consumption. The total 411 KWp will generate around 4.95 lakh units of electricity in year 1, contributing to 40 per cent of approximate present consumption of these 4 premises, thereby saving around Rs0.54 crore of electricity expense for JNPT in the first year.

This is a small but a significant step in the Central government's widespread initiative to promote solar energy in our country and will contribute to the government's ambitious target of having 1,00,000 MW of solar capacity installed in India by 2022.