Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla commissioned a 3 MW solar power plant at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala (Kerala) on Wednesday via virtual conferencing.
This is in line with the Govt of India’s initiative of the National Solar Mission to achieve 100GW of solar power by 2022.
The solar plant is the largest in the Indian Navy and has an estimated life of 25 years. All components have been indigenously sourced, including 9,180 highly efficient monocrystalline solar panels employing the latest technology. The project has been executed by the Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation Ltd (KELTRON).
Despite heavy monsoons and restrictions due to COVID-19, all concerned agencies including Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) continued work on the project adhering to all COVID-19 related guidelines and protocols and executed the work in a timebound manner.
The solar power plant project will help the Naval Station Ezhimala in reducing the carbon footprint and is one of the many initiatives undertaken by INA towards a clean and green environment. Surplus power generated will also feed the KSEB electricity grid.
Earlier, on July 21, the first 2 MW capacity solar power plant of the Western Naval Command was inaugurated at Karanja.