Trichy: With the phase I of its solar power park at Panjappur on the Trichy-Madurai national highway nearing completion, Trichy corporation has proposed to expand the green energy production facility under the smart cities mission. The mission’s board has approved the proposal for phase II expansion at a cost of Rs 37.5 crore.
While the existing solar power park has a capacity to generate 2.4MW power, phased II will have 7.2 MW capacity. It will come up at about 3 to 5 kilometres from the existing plant situated near Madurai road and Trichy-Madurai NH intersection. About 26 acres of land has been earmarked in the expansion proposal and fencing as well as other amenities will be provided. A sum of Rs 2.9 crore will be allocated for developing supporting infrastructure such as roads, CCTV camera and power room.
Pile foundations will be established on the land chosen for phase II atop which panels will be positioned to harness sun rays. The local body will supply the electricity generated from the solar plant to Tangedco’s power grid. While electricity from phase I will go to Tangedco’s E Pudur substation in Trichy city, phase II feed will be supplied to the Manikandan substation.
“Phase I has underground electricity transmission cables. Phase II is most likely to have overhead cables to supply the electricity to the substation,” a source involved in the project said. Trichy corporation will get an equivalent sum deducted from the electricity bills it is supposed to pay as part of the city’s operational and maintenance expense in lieu of the power supplied to Tangedco. “The smart cities mission board has approved the plan and once we get the technical sanction, a tender will be floated,” an official source with Trichy corporation said. The expansion project is estimated to be completed in two years. Meanwhile, about 90% of the civil work for phase I of the solar power park has been completed and the facility is expected to open in a month.
