Driving growth through Innovation

SSG Infratech CMD talks about country’s
largest SBR-based STP in Greater Noida

Use of solar energy in the areas of atmospheric pollution, waste disposal, management and its treatment can prove to be a game-changer in the near future, according to Harjeet Singh Sahni, Chairman and Managing Director of SSG Infratech. Since it is sustainable and renewable, solar energy, he said, can successfully minimise the undesirable impact of other forms of energy on environment. Speaking to Realty & More about the country’s largest SBR process-based sewage treatment plant built and operated by SSG Infratech in Greater Noida, Sahni said this one-of-its-kind plant is being operated fully on solar energy.

SSG Infratech Private Limited was incorporated in 2004 with the objective of undertaking contractors in the environmental engineering space, as well as for general electrical and civil contracts. In this interview with R&M, the company’s CMD talks about the major challenges which he encountered during the design, engineering and construction of the solar power plant attached to the STP and how he successfully overcame these.

Read the full interview:

Realty & More: Please share some details about the sewer treatment plant set up by your company in Greater Noida?

Harjeet Singh Sahni: Completed and commissioned by SSG Infratech, this sewage treatment plant (STP) has 137 mld capacity and it has earned the distinction of being the largest STP in India on SBR technology. Under successful O&M after commissioning, this STP provides highest treatment efficiency possible. Running through Sequential Batch Reactor (SBR) process, it is operated in a batch reactor mode which eliminates all the inefficiencies of the continuous process. The one-of-its-kind plant is being operated fully on solar energy. We have incorporated a solar power system with the capacity of around 1.25 megawatts to fuel this STP.

R&M: Let us know about your entire project portfolio under the banner of SSG Infratech.

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HSS: We deal in various environmental engineering and infrastructure development projects which include sewage treatment plants and water treatment plants operated through solar energy, besides development of Ranny Well, Under Ground Reservoir (UGR) etc.

R&M: Do you think solar energy has played a vital role in bringing innovation in the future energy landscape?    

HSS: We understand that solar energy is one of the most renewable sources of energy and it is available in plenty. We have taken a giant leap forward in envisioning and undertaking such environment-friendly projects and our focus remains intact on the maximum use of solar energy in all of our projects. Solar energy could be gainfully applied in environmental engineering by focusing on theoretical and experimental sample-based studies on its uses in the areas of atmospheric pollution, waste disposal, etc.  In our efforts to utilise clean and non-polluting energy, we operate this STP mainly on solar electricity.

R&M: Can this STP be also operated on grid electricity? What amount of electricity this STP saves on average, when it uses electricity generated through solar panels?

HSS: Yes, our STP can also be operated on grid electricity. However, we have experienced that grid electricity affects STP’s service reliability and causes electrical component failure due to inconsistent electric supply. On the other hand, solar panels ensure seamless electricity supply and the electricity generated through solar panels on an average reduces 70 per cent grid electricity consumption.

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R&M: What all major challenges did you encounter during the design, engineering and construction of the solar power plant attached to the STP?

HSS: The first and foremost challenge that we encountered initially was the requirement of quite a large land space for the installation of solar power plant. This we managed through procuring additional land adjacent to the STP. Among the other major challenges were obtaining different high-costing equipment required for ensuring the supply of the generated energy to the cells. Installing solar panels were quite economical and so we managed it conveniently. The overall design, engineering and construction of the solar power plant did not pose any issue to us, as all of these activities were done under expert guidance.

R&M: SSG Infratech specialises in environmental engineering. Please tell us how solar energy could be gainfully applied in environmental engineering, in general.

HSS: Since solar energy is sustainable and renewable, it successfully minimises the undesirable impact of the other forms of energy on the environment. Moreover, solar energy can be gainfully applied in environmental engineering by focusing on theoretical and experimental sample-based studies on its uses in the areas of atmospheric pollution, waste disposal, management and its treatment. I’m sure, in all these areas, use of solar energy will prove to be a game changer in the near future.

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