BHEL-BEL JV to generate power from solar energy

Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is all set to enter into a joint venture with the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) for an ambitious project for power generation from solar energy.

As a part of the project, a power manufacturing facility with a capacity of 250 MW will be installed. An initial agreement has been made in this regard and the final pact will be signed in a month.

The project will be set up at a cost of around `2,000 crore on a 50-50 ratio, BEL officials said. Once it starts operating, the project will achieve its full capacity within 26 months.

“Initially wafer manufacturing facility will be set up as a part of the project. The project will generate 250 MW of power per annum. Of this, 100 MW will be used for production of power modules which will be used for setting up power plants later,” sources said, adding that the technology for setting up the power manufacturing facility is already available with BEL.

Power generation will be possible three months after a power plant facility starts operating. The Union government has already initiated a major project called Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) for generating 20,000 MW of power by 2020. The officials pointed out that the BEL-BHEL project would help in achieving this goal. “Unlike most existing power generation projects, this initiative is cost-effective. Being a solar-energy based power generation project, there won’t be any major expenditure for purchase of raw materials and the running cost is negligible. Also, being a solar energy based power generation facility, it is environment-friendly and pollution-free.

The power used for setting up and running the facility in the initial phase can be restored within a period of one-and-a-half years,” sources said.

ref:
http://expressbuzz.com/finance/bhel-bel-jv-to-generate-power-from-solar-energy/252485.html