HSL commissions State’s largest rooftop solar power plant

Company will purchase power from Clean Max at a cost of ₹3.93 per unit

In one of the major green-friendly initiatives, Hindustan Shipyard Limited has commenced production from the State’s largest rooftop solar power plant.

The plant is built and operated by Clean Max. While there is no investment on the part of HSL, as per the agreement arrived at with Clean Max, the yard has to buy power from it for 25 years. Out of two megawatt capacity, one megawatt production has already started.

The full capacity will be generated shortly.

The entire project, including design, supply, erection, testing and commissioning and warranty, operation and maintenance, is undertaken by Clean Max without any operation and capital expenditure from the yard.

HSL Chairman and Managing Director L.V. Sarat Babu said on Monday that they were required to buy the generated power from Clean Max at a cost of ₹3.93 per unit as against ₹5.60 per unit for grid power bought from Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Ltd.

“This will enable us to save around ₹40 lakh per annum,” he said. Under CSR, HSL has earmarked ₹60 lakh this year.

Earlier, for failure to achieve profit for three consecutive years, it was not mandatory.

This notwithstanding, the yard used to make contribution to development activity in the neighbourhood. CSR related activities such as renovation of schools and colleges and providing free power and water to six educational institutions run in HSL Colony for the benefit of students coming from surrounding areas had been taken up.