SAIL-Bhilai to Set Up Chhattisgarh's First Floating Solar Plant

• 13 May 2024

Why in News?

Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), the Chhattisgarh-based arm of the state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), will install the state's first 15-megawatt (MW) floating solar project in its Maroda-1 reservoir to improve its carbon footprint.

• The steel major is undertaking various projects to reduce carbon emissions, conserve energy, and promote renewable energy.

Key Points

• The project is being implemented through NTPC-SAIL Power Supply Company Limited (NSPCL), a 50:50 joint venture company of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and SAIL. The solar plant will be set up in Durg district.
• The Maroda reservoir is spread across 2.1 square kilometers with a water storage capacity of 19 cubic milimetres (MM3).
  • The water stored in the Maroda-I reservoir not only feeds the plant but also the township.
• Total green power generation estimated from this plant is likely to be about 34.26 million units annually.
  • The project is expected to reduce the CO₂ emission of BSP by 28,330 tonnes annually.

Carbon Footprint

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a carbon footprint is a measure of the impact people’s activities have on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) produced through the burning of fossil fuels and is expressed as a weight of CO₂ emissions produced in tonnes.
• It is usually measured as tons of CO₂ emitted per year, a number that can be supplemented by tons of CO₂-equivalent gases, including methane, nitrous oxide, and other greenhouse gases.
• It can be a broad measure or be applied to the actions of an individual, a family, an event, an organization, or even an entire nation.