Solar-based charging stations for 600 e-buses in Surat; first plant at Althan bus depot

Surat: The Surat civic body has set an ambitious goal to generate 50% of the electricity consumed in its services from renewable energy sources by the year 2030. As part of this initiative, the Surat Municipal Corporation has announced a plan to meet the load demand of 600 public e-buses operating in the city by establishing a solar plant. The first solar plant for charging the BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System) buses will be built at the Althan Bus Depot in collaboration with GIZ (Germany). All installation costs for this pilot project will be covered by GIZ’s “Save Environment” initiative, ensuring that there is no financial burden on the Surat Municipality.

It is reported that the electricity bill for various buildings, including 95 offices, the streetlight network, the tertiary sewage treatment plant, pumping stations, waterworks, swimming pools, and auditoriums, amounts to Rs 275 crore annually. In contrast, Surat Municipality’s Energy Efficiency Cell is generating 58 MW of energy, which includes 39 MW through wind power, 10 MW from a solar plant in Banaskantha, and 9 MW from rooftops at various municipal offices. This has led to a reduction of 28 percent in total electricity expenditure for the Surat Municipal Corporation. DeshGujarat

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