Page 6 - Solar Power

Tata Power Renewable Energy inks pact with SSMI to set up 28-MW solar plant

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has partnered with Sanyo Special Steel Manufacturing India Private Limited (SSMI) to set up a 28.12-megawatt green energy plant in Maharashtra. In a statement on Thursday, TPREL, an arm of Tata Power, said it has signed the Power Delivery Agreement (PDA) with SSMI through its Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) TP Alpha Limited. "TPREL joins hands with SSMI for setting up of 28.125 MW AC (39.375 MWp) captive solar plant in Aachegaon under district Solapur, Maharashtra," the statement said. The plant is expected to produce 61.875 million inits (MUs) of electricity annually, which would meet the energy requirement of steel manufacturing unit of SSMI. It will also help to reduce SSMI's carbon footprint by 42,534 tonnes annually. The project will be commissioned by March 2024, as per the arrangement. This project aligns with SSMI's long term strategy towards climate change by reducing dependency on fossil fuel-based energy, lower the carbon footp

Gensol Engineering bags EPC projects worth Rs 101.6 crore in Dubai

Homegrown Gensol Engineering Limited on Tuesday announced bagging orders for EPC projects worth Rs 101.6 crore in Dubai. The Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) projects have been secured from Dubai Government Workshop Warehouse and Dubai Police, the company said in a statement. "Gensol Engineering announces its first international Solar EPC project in Dubai. Aggregating to a capacity of 14.08 MWp, these projects have a cumulative order value of Rs 101.6 crore, without taking taxes into account," it said. The two turnkey contracts with the Dubai Government Workshop Warehouse and Dubai Police entail design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing, and commissioning along with the operation and maintenance of these projects. The Dubai Government Workshop Warehouse project is slated for commissioning in November 2023, while the Dubai Police project is scheduled to go online in June 2024, the company said. "With this, we also venture into international market

Solar capacity addition in India declines 58% in Apr-Jun: Mercom India

Solar capacity addition in the country declined 58 per cent to 1.7 gigawatt in the April-June period, mainly due to land and transmission-related issues, Mercom India said on Monday. The country added 4 GW of solar capacity in the year-ago quarter, the research firm said in 'Q2 2023 India Solar Market Update'. "India added 1.7 GW solar capacity in Q2 of 2023. (New) installations dropped more than 10 per cent quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) compared to 1.9 GW in the January-March period," it said. Capacity additions fell almost 58 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) compared to 4 GW in the year-ago period. Large-scale solar projects accounted for 77 per cent of the capacity added during the quarter, and rooftop solar installations contributed 23 per cent. Over 1.3 GW of large-scale solar capacity was added in the quarter, down 64 per cent y-o-y, and 7 per cent q-o-q. During January-June, new installations were at 3.6 GW, down 53 per cent from 7.6 GW during the same period last year. India's

Commercial production under PLI-ACC scheme to commence this fiscal: Govt

Commercial production under the production-linked incentive scheme for advanced chemistry cell manufacturing -- India's Rs 18,100-crore programme to boost local battery cell production -- is likely to commence progressively in phases, in the current financial year, the Centre said on Thursday. The Heavy Industries Ministry has awarded 30GWh of capacity to three beneficiaries, namely, Ola Cell Technologies Pvt. Ltd, ACC Energy Storage Pvt Ltd and Reliance New Energy Battery Storage Ltd and is in the process of awarding another 20GWh, with a target to achieve 50GWh production by 2030. "To monitor the progress of work of the selected beneficiaries, the Ministry has appointed Engineers India Limited (EIL) as Independent Engineers. The prototype testing is almost complete by these beneficiaries and commercial production is likely to start progressively in phases, in FY 2024," an official statement said. The scheme aims to strengthen the ecosystem for Electric Mobility and Battery Storage

Sales of solar energy kits rise to 5.2 mn globally in second half of 2022

Rooftop solar installation witnessed a tremendous growth in 2022 with sales of solar kits increasing globally to 5.2 million in the second half of the calender year, 20 per cent more than the units sold in the first six months, an official said on Wednesday. "In the past year, we have seen tremendous uptake of solar rooftops," said Ajay Mathur, Director General, International Solar Alliance. Data reveals that 5.2 million solar energy kits were sold globally in the second half of 2022, which is a 20 per cent increase from the first half of the year and 18 per cent higher than the previous peak in the second half of 2019," he said at the South Asia Forum for Distributed Energy (SAFDE) here. "This clearly shows that we have learned to value them as we go. We have also learned to value the off-grid utilisation architecture in parallel," he added. Earlier in the day, the forum was opened by Union Minister of State for New and Renewable Energy, Chemicals and Fertilizers Bhagwant Khuba.

IREDA aims Rs 4,350 cr operational revenues in FY24, Rs 5,220 cr in FY25

State-owned IREDA has set a target of achieving Rs 4,350 crore revenue from operations during the current financial year. In the next fiscal, it aims to touch a revenue of Rs 5,220 crore from operations, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) said in a statement on Monday. In this regard, the company has also signed a performance-based memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The MoU, in alignment with the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) guidelines, outlines strategic targets that IREDA aims to achieve during the fiscal years 2023-24 and 2024-25. "The government of India has set a revenue from operation target of Rs 4,350 crore for 2023-24 and Rs 5,220 crore for 2024-25. IREDA had achieved a revenue from operation of Rs 3,482 crore in the preceding fiscal year," the statement said. The government, in the agreement, has also defined key performance parameters including return on net worth, return on capital emplo

NLC India signs pact with Rajasthan govt for 300 MW solar power supply

The NLC India on Thursday inked a pact with Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam for supply of 300 MW solar power for the next 25 years. A central PSU, the NLC secured 510 MW solar project capacity in the CPSU Scheme Phase-II Tranche-III floated by Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) through competitive bidding. In a statement, the NLC said 300 MW solar project capacity is under execution at Barsingsar, Bikaner District of Rajasthan. The EPC (Engineering, procurement and construction) contract for the project has been awarded to TATA power solar systems. The Power Usage Agreement (PUA) for the 300 MW solar project was signed between NLC India Limited (NLCIL) and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (RUVNL) on August 17 at Jaipur. The pact is for supply of solar power to Rajasthan for the next 25 years. Power to the tune of 750 Million Units is to be generated annually from the project and total green power generated will be supplied to Rajasthan. "The project will help Rajastha

SJVN inks two agreements to supply 1,200 MW solar power to Punjab

State-owned SJVN Ltd has inked two pacts with Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) to supply 1,200 MW of solar power from its projects, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said here on Thursday. Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam signed two power purchase agreements (PPAs) for 1,200 MW solar power recently. PSPCL had floated tenders for procurement of power from solar projects located in Punjab and other parts of the country. SJVN Green Energy Limited (SGEL), SJVN's arm, proposed the rate of Rs 2.53 per unit for the supply of 1,000 MW and Rs 2.75 per unit for another 200 MW. "Earlier bidding was of Rs 2.59 per unit but it was negotiated and brought at Rs 2.53," he said. For 200 MW the bid had proposed the rate of Rs 2.79 per unit but it was finally agreed at Rs 2.75 per unit, Mann said, adding that the state government will save Rs 431 crore through this negotiation. The rates have been fixed for 25 years and PSPCL will not pay any transmission charges and for transmission losses. La

NTPC Renewable Energy wins bid for 80 MW solar project in Khandwa

NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd on Tuesday emerged as the successful bidder for an 80-megawatt floating solar project at Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh. The energy generated from the project will be supplied to Madhya Pradesh discoms, NTPC said in a statement. NTPC Renewable Energy is a subsidiary of power producer NTPC. "The bidding was conducted on August 8, 2023, by Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited, a joint venture of Solar Energy Corporation of India and MP Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. The discovered tariff is Rs 3.80/kWh," it said. NTPC Group has 3.3 GW renewable energy (RE) operational capacity, while another 20 GW RE capacity is in the pipeline, including 4 GW energy storage system and the country's first green hydrogen-based piped natural gas blending project. NTPC aims to achieve 60 GW of RE capacity by 2032.

IIT Goa gets solar-powered weather monitoring station under US-India collab

As part of the collaboration between the USA and India, the City University of New York (CUNY) has installed a solar-powered weather monitoring station at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Goa. The weather station at IIT Goa, located at Farmagudi village in South Goa, was installed on Tuesday, paving the way for a series of other such installations in the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat, those linked to the project said. Neal Philip, Professor from Bronx Community College of the CUNY, said the project was funded by the US Consulate General, Mumbai. The project is part of a collaboration between CUNY and IIT Goa. "This is our first project and we are looking forward to more such projects," he said. Philip said it is a solar-powered modular system. "You can have regular weather information, temperature, humidity, solar radiation, UV radiation, moisture, air quality and other things with this station," he said. "It has a lot of facilities other than the normal weather stat

Rays Power Infra, Serentica Renewables to set up 283 MW solar project

Rays Power Infra on Friday said it has signed an agreement with Serentica Renewables for a 283-megawatt solar project. The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) project will be using single-axis trackers and bifacial modules, Rays Power Infra said in a statement. "Rays Power Infra has signed an EPC term sheet with Serentica Renewables. Rays Power Infra shall be responsible for the engineering, procurement, and construction of a 283 MW DC solar PV project using single-axis trackers and bifacial modules," it said. The project will create several job opportunities and business growth avenues for the subcontractors. The company is focusing on establishing more such power plants in Karnataka and other states, Rays Power Infra Director Pawan Sharma said. The company did not provide further information with respect to the location of the project or its financial details. Rays Power Infra is a solar power company with a commissioned 1.30 gigawatt peak portfolio.

SJVN bags procurement contract for 1,200 MW solar power from Punjab

State-owned SJVN Ltd on Saturday said it has bagged a contract from Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) for the development and procurement of 1,200 MW of solar power entailing an investment of Rs 7,000 crore. "SJVN Green Energy Ltd (SGEL; a wholly owned subsidiary of SJVN) will develop 1000 MW (solar) project anywhere in the country and balance 200 MW in the state of Punjab," a company statement said. SJVN has received the Letter of Intent (LOI) from the PSPCL for the procurement of 1,200 MW of solar power. The PSPCL will be procuring 1,000 MW energy produced anywhere in India at a tariff of Rs 2.53 per unit, while 200 MW energy produced in Punjab will be procured at a tariff of Rs 2.75 per unit, it stated. Development of these projects involves an investment of around Rs 7,000 crore, which will be on Build Own and Operate (BOO) basis, it stated. The project shall be commissioned in a period of 18 months from the date of signing of power purchase agreement (PPA) and is ...

Tracking the sun with automation for efficiency in solar power production

Smart sensors, automated weather stations, machine learning algorithms comprise a market worth $10 bn

Shell's renewables boss Thomas Brostrom to leave after CEO strategy shift

Thomas Brostrom joined Shell from offshore wind giant Orsted in August 2021 to head offshore wind as the company planned to rapidly grow its wind and solar operations

World Bank approves $1.5 bn financing for India's low carbon energy sector

The financing will help India promote low-carbon energy by scaling up renewable energy, developing green hydrogen and stimulating climate finance for low-carbon energy investments, the bank said

Amara Raja Infra bags solar power project worth $130 mn in Bangladesh

: Amara Raja Infra Pvt Ltd (ARIPL), part of the USD 1.75 billion Amara Raja Group, has accomplished a significant achievement by securing a new solar project worth USD 130 million in Bangladesh. A press release from Amara Raja said the venture serves as ARIPL's entry into the international solar market, marking a new milestone for the company. The scope of the project which consists of Engineering, Design, Supply, Installation, and Commissioning of a 100 MW (AC) Solar PV Power Plant will be funded by the Exim Bank of India, it said. ARIPL, in collaboration with Premier Solar of Hyderabad, secured the project from Rural Power Company Ltd (RPCL) in Bangladesh. The project spans 326 acres at Madarganj in Jamalpur District and will be completed in the next 18 months. After the project is commissioned, ARIPL will also provide comprehensive operation and maintenance services for two years, along with warranty spares and consumables. Vikramadithya Gourineni, Director, Amara Raja Infra Pvt

Goldi Solar investing Rs 5k cr to boost module manufacturing capacity: MD

Gujarat-based Goldi Solar is in the process of investing over Rs 5,000 crore to expand its module manufacturing capacity to 6 GW, the company's managing director Ishver Dholakiya said. At present, the company's total module manufacturing capacity is 2.5 GW, Dholakiya, who is also the founder of the company, told PTI. When asked about the company's growth plans, he replied, "We are in the process of investing over Rs 5,000 crore as part of our expansion plans to increase module manufacturing from 2.5 GW to 6 GW." The renewable energy business expansion will be channelled into auxiliary production, including aluminium frames, junction boxes, backsheet, etc, he said. The investment will be made by the year 2025, he said, adding, his company also aims to recruit over 4,500 people across various functions, which will increase its workforce to over 5,500 by FY25. "We plan to hire 25 per cent of the workforce from the local tribal regions adjoining its proposed manufacturing facility. We

Solar power generation up 75% in MP, panels installed at 8,550 places

There has been a 75 per cent rise in the number of places using solar panels to generate electricity in the western part of Madhya Pradesh over a period of one year, an official from a power distribution company said on Tuesday. Electricity was being generated from solar panels at 4,900 places in 15 districts of western Madhya Pradesh in May-June last year, while this number has now increased to 8,550, the spokesperson of Madhya Pradesh western Region Power Distribution Company said. At present, solar panels have been installed at 8,550 places, which include hospitals, government offices and other premises, besides residences, he said. Solar panels of total 110 MW are installed at these locations, from which electricity worth at least Rs 5 crore is being generated every month this summer. The panels are installed on the rooftops of buildings at most places, the official said. Of these, solar panels of 59 MW capacity have been installed in the premises of low-tension consumers of ..

Kerala can save Rs 9k cr in 5 yrs if it switches to 100% renewable energy

Kerala can save Rs 9,000 crore over a five-year period if they replace coal power purchases with renewable energy contracts by 2040, according to a new study. If the southern state replaces its scheduled purchases of coal power from central sector plants with new renewable energy at an average tariff of Rs 3/kWh, the state would save approximately Rs 969 crore per annum, it said. The report also suggests a transition pathway that sees the most expensive central sector power contracts phased out first, saving the state Rs 4,505 crore through the phase-out of 1560 MW of coal power by 2026-27, the study further said. The significant findings were made by think-tank Climate Risk Horizons (CRH). This finding comes just months after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced that the state will aim for 100 per cent renewable energy over the next 17 years. In addition to explaining the financial and climate-related benefits of this move, the CRH report also charts out the transition pa

Tata Power Renewable Energy commissions 110 MW solar project in Rajasthan

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has commissioned a 110 mega watt (MW) solar energy project at Bikaner, in Rajasthan. A subsidiary of Tata Power, TPREL, is one of the major renewable energy players in the country. "TPREL has commissioned a 110MW solar power project in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The project will supply 110 MW green power to the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB)," Tata Power said in a statement on Monday. The project is expected to generate approximately 211 million units (MU) of green electricity and reduce 2,58,257 metric tonne (MT) carbon footprint annually. According to the company, "the project has used 2,59,272 mono bifacial PERC half-cell modules. It was completed within 7 months despite various challenges including adverse weather conditions, temperatures touching 50+ degrees, the coldest of winters and sandstorms, along with adverse geopolitical challenges." This project is one of the fastest commissioned projects in Rajasthan, backed by a skilled t