In a major boost for renewable energy in the state,
the Mormugao Port Authority, Vasco is set to commission in February-end this
year, a 3 MW solar power plant that will drastically cut down its power
purchased from the Goa electricity department. The solar project will make MPA, a solar port of India. It will be
the state’s second biggest solar project after the 5 MW solar plant of the
Manohar International Airport, Mopa.
MPA officials
disclosed that the upcoming solar power plant located over 28,000 sq. mtr. of
land, near the port, will generate 4.5 million units of electricity. They said that, the solar power plant is for captive
consumption and the power it generates will be sufficient for the port and also
its other facilities in the MPA township viz. the school and the hospital run
by the port authorities. The investment
on the solar plant is about Rs 18 crore, which includes the project management
consultant cost paid to the consultant for the project…The funds are of
MPA, for which the subsidy is being provided through the Sagarmala project of
the centre,” disclosed officials.
Officials said
that, power generation from the plant during the rainy season is expected to
decrease and MPA will have to make up the shortfall from the state grid. MPAs solar plant is set over open land. For
maintenance and to keep the solar panels dust-free the port plans to deploy a
water jet cleaning mechanism…The plant
is expected to save the port Rs 3.8 crore, which is its total expenditure on
power presently...The solar power plant is part of the Maritime India
Vision 2030, and the UN convention for climate change to achieve net zero
emission by 2070. “The solar project is on track. The return on investment from
it is six-seven years. it is part of the
port’s plan to achieve green port status,” said officials.
Goa’s solar energy generation comprise ground-mounted
solar plants that in 2022-23, generated only 4.7 million units (MU) of
electricity as against the total consumption of around 4,430.7 MU of
electricity during the year. As on March 2023, the state had total solar power
capacity of 46.2 MW, of which 31.7 MW was capacity from the small solar systems
installed by numerous homeowners, hotels or commercial establishments and 14.5
MW capacity from ground-mounted plants set up by industries.
Industries that have
set up solar power plants include ONGC (1 MW), Pfizer, Mahindra Holidays &
Resorts, United Spirits, Bethora, Proctor & Gamble, Usgaon, Sanofi India
(1.8 MW), Verna, and Manohar International Airport, Mopa (5 MW.)
To encourage residential, institutional, commercial
and industrial rooftop solar plants, the state gives subsidy ranging from 20
per cent to 50 per cent on the benchmark cost for installation of solar plants
up to an installed capacity of 90 KW…The state is also coming out with a
hydrogen policy and net zero emission policy for industries to promote
large-sized solar power plants.