Def minister inaugurates solar power plant at Heavy Vehicle

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today inaugurated a 16 MW solar 'PV power plant' set up by the defence PSU Bharat Electronics LTD at the Heavy Vehicle Factory in Avadi here.

The power plant set up on a 80 acre land, at a cost of Rs 105 crore, would meet the captive consumption of the HVF and Engine Factory Avadi (EFA).

The plant would inject power at 110kV to the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation Ltd's 110 kV Sub-Station. This is expected to lead to an annual savings of Rs 45.41 million for HVF.

"Solar power generated here is given to TNEB (Tamil Nadu Electricity Board) at less than Rs five thus providing over Rs four crore savings.

Great contribution by Bharat Electronics and Ordnance Factory at Avadi," she said in her official twitter handle after formally inaugurating the plant.

The new plant would provide green energy to the factory and promote GreenIndia, she said in another tweet.

Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL), under the 'Viability Gap Funding Scheme', is establishing energy security for the Ordnance Factory Estates, by setting up utility scale grid-connected solar power plants, a press release said.

It would also lead to reduction of sulphur di-oxide, nitrogen di-oxide and particulate matter emissions resulting in improvement in air quality, the release said.

The carbondioxide avoided due to the solar power plant would be around 26,384 ton per year, it added.

BEL Chairman and Managing Director, M V Gowatama, Tata Solar Power Chief Financial Officer, Satish Gupta were among those present on the occasion.