BHAGALPUR: The National Thermal Power Corporation's Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Plant (KhSTPP) at Kahalgaon near Bhagalpur has planned to produce at least 15MW electricity through solar energy even while continuing to rely on conventional coal for power generation.KhSTPP executive director Rakesh Samuel told newsmen on Thursday the geo-technical project report had already been prepared and the topographical survey for power generation through solar energy done for the purpose. In all likelihood, power generation through solar energy will start soon, he said."We are also planning to produce 450 kilowatt of electricity by installing solar plant panels on the rooftop of KhSTPP buildings. We will fulfil the energy requirement of the plant premises with the production of 450 kilowatt solar energy for now," he said.On the generation from the thermal plant, Samuel said the KhSTPP generated record 15794.75 million units of electricity in the recent past.Referring to the coal reserve at KhSTPP, the ED said the KhSTPP currently operated with a day's reserve of around 40,000 million tonne coal. "The coal supply from the Eastern Coalfield Limited (Lalmatia, Jharkhand) is smooth, but we would like to have coal reserve for at least a week or two," he said.Talking about the KhSTPP's corporate social responsibility, the ED said they installed 400 hand pumps for supply of drinking water to the villagers in the areas surrounding the plant premises. Besides, 600 toilets were constructed and 600 solar systems distributed among the villagers."Also, we organised a number of health camps at which more than 9,000 needy villagers were given proper medicare," the ED said and added 30,000 saplings were planted in the region for environment protection in 2016-17 and they planned to plant an equal number of saplings in the current financial year.

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