Army’s Western Command, NTPC ink pact on green energy

Chandigarh, September 8

The Army’s Western Command has signed a long-term agreement with National Thermal Power Corporation to draw 25 MW of solar power directly from the national solar grid of the country for the next 27 years.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU), after discussions and approvals spanning over five months, was signed by representatives of the Western Command and the NTPC at Chandimandir today.

The solar energy being provided to Western Command will be sourced from Sholapur in Maharashtra, a spokesperson said.

Apart from accruing a substantial saving to the exchequer, the move will decarbonise up to 38 per cent of the energy portfolio of the Western Command. This initiative aligns the command to the National Solar Mission of the government and weans it away from archaic coal-based thermal energy being provisioned so far at higher tariffs.