The Eastern Coalfields (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has commissioned 250 kW rooftop solar power project, ramping up its total installed solar rooftop capacity to 692 kW. Implemented through the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), the newly installed 250 kW plant set up at ECL’s headquarters in Sanctoria, West Bengal, for captive consumption, has an average generation of 3.65 lakh units per annum. This is sufficient to meet 12 per cent of the entire average annual power consumption of ECL’s headquarters which is 30 lakh units.
The average annual generation from these solar projects is 6.45 lakh units. With installation of the recent project, ECL’s total solar generation has jumped to 10.10 lakh units. It is reported that with the implementation of the 250 kW solar plant, the estimated reduction in CO2 emission is almost 300 tpa. Combined with the company’s already existing 442 kW solar power projects, the total CO2 reduction will be to the tune of 830 tpa. CIL has laid out plans to install 3,000 MW solar power by 2024.