Hyderabad metro rail to have 8MW solar power

Planned solar plants in Metro depots, on station rooftops

L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Limited on Tuesday announced that the Chief Electrical Inspector to Government of India for Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) project, D.V.S. Raju has inspected the 1MWp solar installation at HMR-Uppal Depot and related 0.54/33 KV power evacuation substation.

To meet 15% needs

HMR project has planned approximately 8 MWp captive solar plants in Metro depots and on station rooftops to meet 15% of the total electrical consumption.

As on date, 3 MWp has been commissioned and another 1 MWp is ready for commissioning, said managing director and CEO K.V.B. Reddy. This plant has been developed on RESCO model by Ampsolar Generation Private Limited, through a power purchase agreement with L&TMRH. Upon successful inspection and grant of sanction from the Chief Electrical Inspector, the operational solar plant capacity on HMR premises at Uppal Depot shall be 4 MWp which would generate approximately 18,000 units energy per day and form 8% of the total energy demand.

Carbon footprint

“It is a great initiative to tap renewable potential to reduce carbon footprint,” said Mr. Raju.

“This shall be a milestone in achieving sustainability objectives of the project; and installation activities on other sites are in full swing. We expect to achieve 8 MWp capacity of solar installation by the end of the year. With this solar plant commissioning, both Uppal and Miyapur depots shall become power surplus,” said Mr. Reddy.