The Hindu Business Line : MSC Power to set up solar-wind plant near Pune

The Union Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad Pawar, will lay the foundation stone of this power plant on December 12.MSC Power is part of the Bahrain-based Y K Almoayyed Group.

The Indian operations began in July and the investment of Rs 45 crore for the first solar wind power plant is being pooled in by the parent company, the Almoayyed Group. (The group has over 5,000 employees and has diversified into construction, automobiles, heavy equipment, consumer electronics and appliances, real estate and information technology.)

MSC Power (India) Pvt Ltd, which is based in Pune, is a wholly owned subsidiary of MSC Power Corporation (BVI), Singapore. Mr Sandeep Sanghvi, Director, MSC Power (India) Pvt Ltd, said the solar wind power plants would be called `MSCP 4' power plants (or perpetual pyramid power plants.)

Such a system taps solar and heat energy to produce power as well as drinking water.

He said the demonstration plant is being set up in Pune, which would be the first of its kind in the world.

The Almoayyed Group is working on the plant with Mr MokSiong Cheak (Steven Mok). He has been working for eight years on this invention in Sudan and has applied for a patent.

Mr Sanghvi said the plant has a pyramid-like structure with four side frames. Each frame consists of panels to accommodate at least four heating layers.

An underground storage tank designed to retain and transfer heat and heating fins are the two key features of the system. Mr Sanghvi said the Pune project is spread across three acres.

The plant, which has a capacity to generate five megawatts of electricity, is expected to be functional by May 2006.

The company will be setting up plants with capacities of 10, 18 and 36 MW in India.

India Cements, Serum Institute and Aditya Birla Group have shown interest in setting up `MSC P 4' plants for their own use. Around 9-12 months are required in setting up the plant, he said.

The cost of setting up of such a plant is $2 million per megawatt. Mr Sanghvi said similar plants would be constructed in Thailand, Malaysia and China and they would start operating by December 2006.

Mr Sanghvi said the company has also decided to combine a water plant with a desalination plant, which would produce potable water.

The power-cum-water plant will be located at Chennai.

Mr Sanghvi said that talks are already on to set up the plant with the Chennai Corporation.

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