Indian solar plant also fights pollution

India’s largest industrial solar plant will also clean polluted water.

Punjab’s Non-Conventional Energy Minister Bikram Singh Majithia said the solar thermal system that converts sunlight into electricity can also be used to evaporate 100,000 litres a day of water polluted by industrial effluents.

The solar plant at the Ludhiana district in Punjab state became operational last Sunday. It is located on the site of Kangaro Industries Ltd at the village of Kanech, near Sahnewal. The company manufactures staplers and staples.

The manufacturing process used by this plant generates 12,000 to 15,000 litres per day of water polluted by industrial effluents. This waste water will pollute the soil and underground water tables if discharged into the ground.

Instead, waste water from the plant will be cleaned using a reverse osmosis system. The water will be evaporated by the solar plant’s thermal system and condensed, leaving behind solid waste that can be recycled.