Union MoS Satish Dubey Inaugurates 51 Solar Plants and Felicitates Hackathon Winners

In a major step towards sustainability, Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Shri Satish Chandra Dubey remotely inaugurated 51 rooftop solar power plants of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) under Special Campaign 4.0 from Ranchi. These solar plants, with a cumulative capacity of 2.428 MW, highlight BCCL’s focus on reducing carbon emissions while utilizing unused building spaces. Minister Dubey praised BCCL’s initiatives and CMD, BCCL, Shri Samiran Dutta, emphasized BCCL’s role in securing coking coal supplies while contributing to India’s renewable energy mission.

BCCL’s Renewable Energy Initiatives

Alongside the commissioned 2.428 MW rooftop plants, BCCL plans to install an additional 3 MW rooftop solar plant by FY 2024-25. A 20 MW ground-mounted project at Dugdha Washery is expected to be completed by 2024, followed by a 25 MW project at Bhojudih Coal Washery by March 2025. These initiatives reinforce BCCL’s vision of balancing coal production with green energy projects.

Hackathon on Coal Gasification

Minister Dubey also felicitated winners of the “Coal Gasification” Hackathon organized by CMPDI. The hackathon, focused on harnessing natural resources for energy and chemical needs, received 34 proposals addressing six problem statements. Start-ups, research organizations, and academic institutes contributed innovative solutions aimed at commercial application in coal gasification.

Other Key Initiatives

During his visit to CMPDI, Dubey inaugurated three 5 kW solar trees, contributing to public awareness about solar energy. Additionally, he inaugurated a “Deer structure” made from scrap under the Waste to Wealth initiative and participated in the “Ek Ped Maa ke Naam” sapling planting campaign. Aligning with the “Khelo India” program, new sports facilities including a badminton court, gymnasium, and high mast lights were also inaugurated at CMPDI, promoting sports and fitness culture.