Reliance Energy to replace 88,000 Mumbai streetlights with LEDs

Reliance Energy on Tuesday announced it will replace 88,000 high pressure sodium vapour (HPSV) streetlights with LED lamps in Mumbai suburbs this year to save 40 percent electricity.

In the first phase, the company will replace 19,800 of the existing HPSV lamps with the energy-efficient LED lamps this month, and convert all the 88,000 lamps by December this year.

"This will result in savings of around 40 percent energy without compromising illumination levels of these BMC streetlights," said a spokesperson.

Presently, Reliance Energy powers 88,000 streetlights in the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation area, and 13,500 streetlights in the Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation areas of adjoining Thane, besides other institutions like MMRDA, MHADA, SAI.

Currently, 47.45 million units of electricity is used for illuminating 88,000 streetlights only under the BMC, for which the civic body has sanctioned financial assistance to replace them with LED lights, but others have yet to do so.

"The HPSVs consume more power and replacing them with LED luminaries will help save close to 40 per cent electricity. This will also save all in hire charges for MCGM without compromising on illumination," the spokesperson said.

The initiative is a part of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' announcement earlier this year to replace all streetlights in all civic bodies in the state with LED lights under the Centre's 'Street Light National Programme' (SLNP).

For this, the state government had signed a MoU with the Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to install 20 lakh LED streetlights across Maharashtra, a step estimated to save 500 MW power and reduce electricity bills by around 50 percent.

As per the agreement, LED lamps will be used as streetlights in all major cities of the state, including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli and Nanded.

--IANS

qn/vd