COIMBATORE: A floating solar power plant established at the Big Tank in Ukkadam in Coimbatore was commissioned on Wednesday.
The plant, set to generate 154 kilowatts (KW) of power, has been established for Rs 1.45 crore under the ‘Namakku Naame’ scheme with 50% contribution from Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
The plant with 280 floating solar power panels, set up in the lake sprawling over 330 acres, is expected to reduce the expense on power bills of the civic body. The Coimbatore corporation, which has 100 wards, spends Rs 25 crore annually on electricity bills for street lights.
The plant is equipped with surveillance cameras, lightning arresters, fire extinguishers, a weather monitoring system, protective fencing and an automated water sprayer mechanism to clean the solar modules.
Coimbatore MP Ganapathi P Rajkumar commissioned power generation in the plant in the presence of Mayor R Ranganayaki and Corporation Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabhakaran.