Kochi Metro Rail depot commissions solar plant.

Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL)commissioned a 2719-kW capacity solar plant at Muttom depot on Monday, a move expected to help KMRL achieve 44 per cent energy neutrality.

The ground-mounted solar project is spread across four hectares in the depot. With the commissioning of the new plant, the total capacity will be 5390 Kwp.

Inaugurating the plant, APM Mohammed Hanish, Managing Director, KMRL, said solar power is not just economically beneficial to the company but serves a powerful message to the society at large.

AMP Solar Ventures Pvt Ltd is the agency running the project and the contract is for 25 years. The plant has a capacity of 10,332 units daily at Rs. 3.66 per KWH or unit. KMRL is expecting to save over Rs. 1 crore on energy cost every year.

KMRL has already achieved 19 per cent neutrality with the help of a 2671 Kwp capacity solar plant. At present, 13 stations have solar panels. The daily energy requirement of KMRL is 48,000 units. The energy need will increase by 23 million units a year when the Petta station is opened this year.

KMRL plans to enhance the capacity by another 5445 Kwp. The idea is to utilise the depot tracks to install solar power plants. The project is planned to be completed in 2020, and once completed, the metro’s energy neutrality will touch 60 per cent.

HBL