Wardha, 13 Oct (HS): The steel industry in

Maharashtra has taken an important step by switching to clean energy. SunSure

Energy will supply 30 MWp solar power to Evonith Steel's plant in Wardha.

A long-term power purchase agreement has been signed

between SunSure Energy and Evonith Steel for the supply of clean energy with a

30-megawatt-peak capacity. Under the agreement, solar power will be supplied to

Evonith Steel's integrated steel production plant in Wardha. The deal was

announced on 12 October. The power supply is planned to start from October.

SunSure Energy's operational solar plant at Dhule with 120 MWp capacity will be

used for this purpose. Evonith Steel will be able to start using clean energy

early as the power supply will start within a few weeks of the contract.

The agreement is estimated to help reduce emissions

by an estimated 34,700 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. Steel

production requires a lot of energy. In such a time, the company is trying to

reduce carbon emissions in the manufacturing process by increasing the use of

solar energy.

Jay Saraf, chairman of Evonith Steel, spoke of

sustainability as a priority along with rising steel demand. He added that the

company is focused on reducing the carbon intensity of production by increasing

the use of clean energy.

Shashank Sharma, Chairman and CEO, SunSure Energy,

also highlighted the importance of rapidly making clean energy available to the

industrial sector. The transition to clean energy may be shorter, as

electricity will come from solar plants that are already in operation, rather

than from new power plants. This is an example of connecting industrial

consumers to non-conventional energy at a relatively faster pace and is

expected to catalyse an eco-friendly transformation of the steel industry.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Ajay Vasant Mardikar