Indo-German tech makes possible massive solar plant in Mount Abu
On the sprawling Shantivan campus of the Brahma Kumaris have been set up world's most ambitious solar kitchens. Here, every day, the India One Solar Thermal Power Plant powers preparation of fresh, hot vegetarian meals for up to 50,000 people with no electricity, firewood, or cooking gas.
The plant, which began operations in 2017, is claimed to be the sole unit in the world which runs on
solar thermal energy
round-the-clock.
Spread over 35 acres, the one-megawatt capacity solar plant is a product of a collaboration between India's Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy
, Germany's Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, and the German Federal Enterprise for International Cooperation.
"What makes the plant remarkable is that nearly 90 per cent of its components, including all 770 parabolic reflective dishes, were designed and manufactured in India by the Brahma Kumaris own team of engineers. Only the solar-grade mirrors were imported from the United States," a spokesperson of the Brahma Kumaris in Sirohi district said.
He said that the parabolic reflectors are designed to mimic the movement of a sunflower, tracking the sun's path across the sky to maximise energy capture.
Each reflector spans around 600 square feet, about the size of a typical two-bedroom apartment, and directs sunlight onto a fixed focus box, where water is converted into steam. This steam is then used to generate electricity and even cook meals in the on-site kitchen.
"The integration of thermal storage systems allows the plant to produce electricity for 24 hours, with a current output of nearly 16,000 units of power daily, half of which is consumed by the Brahma Kumaris campus," he said.
The genesis of the solar plant can be traced back to 1990, when German scientist Wolfgang Scheffler introduced a miniature version of the technology in India. His idea was to help local tribal communities cook without wood by harnessing solar steam, the spokesperson said.
Inspired by his model, local engineers and researchers expanded the concept into a fully operational power station. With over Rs 80 crore invested and five years of construction, the plant stands today as a working model of sustainable and decentralised energy production.
The spokesperson said researchers and students from across the world visit the site every year to study its operations.
The project is hailed for being modular, cost-effective, and built with locally available materials. With easy maintenance and reliable long-term performance, experts believe it can be replicated in other parts of India that receive abundant sunlight.
What makes this plant even more significant is its alignment with India's growing ambition to shift towards green energy, he added. PTI
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