Highlights :
- Gokul has applied for a Rs 34 crore loan from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to facilitate the establishment of the solar plant.
- The solar project will be developed through a specialized firm.
The renowned milk product brand, ‘Gokul Dairy,’ also known as Kolhapur Zilla Dudh Utpadak Sangh, is slated to establish a solar power generation plant in the Solapur district of Maharashtra. In December, Gokul acquired 18 acres of land from the solar park in Karmala Tehsil, Solapur district, for the purpose of constructing the solar power generation facility.
As the largest co-operative dairy in Maharashtra, Gokul has applied for a Rs 34 crore loan from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to facilitate the establishment of the solar plant through a collaboration with a specialized firm.
The solar plant will be designed to generate 6.5 megawatts of power daily, which will be supplied to the state grid, enabling the dairy to access power at more affordable rates.
Arun Dongale, the Chairperson of Gokul Dairy, revealed that a Pune-based firm has been appointed to install and manage the solar power plant. The decision to embark on this initiative stems from the aim to reduce power expenses, particularly for the dairy’s processing facility at Gokul Shirgaon MIDC. Every day dairy collects nearly 12 lakh litres of milk from Kolhapur district.
Arun Dongale said that Gokul spends Rs 13 crore per year on the power bills. “With new plant in place by August 2024, we will save nearly Rs 6.5 crores. The saved cost will be transferred to clear the loans in just five years,” he said.
Dairy Cooperatives Banking On Solar
The dairy cooperatives are thriving in different parts of the country and as a key stakeholder in India’s development story; they are increasingly investing in renewable energy that benefits their own businesses too. A week ago, Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation (TCMPF) has issued a tender to procure 43.8-GWh of power from solar or wind energy projects through open access to meet its annual power demand.
Ernakulam Regional Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union is building a 2-MW solar farm and looks to become first plant in the country to run fully on solar energy.
As per Indo-German Energy Forum – a think tank – KfW is looking to develop a joint program with India’s National Dairy Development Board to support the implementation of solar energy applications for dairy processing facilities in the cooperative sector in India.
Recently, MNRE Minister RK Singh stressed on the need for creating an enabling policy framework to further propagate the use of solar energy, utilizing dairy cooperative network for the benefit of the farmers.
