Tata Power has energized its 225 MW hybrid project & signed MoU with JLL India; MSEDCL's phase VII auction concludes; MNRE extends PM-KUSUM Scheme till March 31, 2026; Adani enters MoU with Israel Innovation Authority.
Tata Power commissions 225 MW hybrid project: Tata Power's subsidiary Tata Power Green Energy Limited (TPGEL) has commissioned a 225 MW wind solar hybrid power plant in Rajasthan which will supply power to Tata Power Mumbai Distribution under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). It will enable the company to fulfill its renewable purchase obligation (RPO). It added that with the addition of 225 MW hybrid power, Tata Power Mumbai's customers revised power supply portfolio will rise to 38% non-carbon power, nearly double the mandatory RPO. It is the company's maiden hybrid project and comprises 225 MW solar power plant at Noorsar in Rajasthan, and existing wind assets of 96 MW in Maharashtra. Together this capacity will generate close to 700 million units of clean energy annually with 5,79,448 modules and 103 individual wind energy generators.
Tata Power & JLL join hands for green energy: Tata Power has also announced signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with real estate firm and investment manager JLL India to promote green energy solutions in the realty space in the country. JLL is spread across 11 cities, and manages more than 415 million sq. ft. of space. They plan to jointly evaluate opportunities across JLL India's clients' portfolios to extend Tata Power's green energy solution by way of open access solutions, consumer friendly metering and billing solutions using smart meters equipped with data analytics. It will also entail Tata Power to install rooftop solar systems while encouraging e-mobility solutions.
Dedicated rooftop solar portal launched: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Portal for Rooftop Solar calling it a major step to realizing the rooftop solar potential of the country. Having a dedicated portal will enable online tracking of the process of PV installations and will cover all aspects, right from registering the applications to the release of subsidy in the bank accounts of beneficiaries, which here will be residential consumers, after installation and inspection of the plant. The portal will be managed by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The slow development of rooftop solar is the reason India will be significantly missing its 100 GW by 2022 target, which includes a 40% share for rooftop systems.
MSEDCL's phase VII solar auction complete: The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company's (MSEDCL) 500 MW grid connected intrastate solar projects auction under phase VII has been concluded. According to Mercom India Research, the winners included SJVN and Juniper with each quoting INR 2.90 ($0.0367) per kWh for 200 MW and 75 MW capacity respectively. Another 150 MW, 50 MW and 25 MW was won by Tata Power, Sukhbir Agro Energy and Avaada Energy for INR 2.91 ($0.0368) per kWh, respectively. MSEDCL had launched the tender in June 2022 (see MSEDCL's 500 MW Solar Procurement Tender). The lowest winning tariff for this auction has gone up from INR 2.42 per kWh it achieved for 500 MW auctioned under phase VI (see India PV News Snippets: MSEDCL, RSEPL, Jakson Group).
PM-KUSUM Scheme extended: MNRE has extended the Pradhan Mantri Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahaabhiyaan (PM-KUSUM) Scheme till March 31, 2026. It has also introduced some amendments as central financial assistance (CFA) for pump capacity of up to 15 horse power (HP) to individual farmers in north eastern states, Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh under Components B and C. It will be restricted to 10% of total installations. Domestic content requirement (DCR) has been waived off for the feeder level solarization under Component C for projects awarded by the implementing agency on or before June 20, 2023. Targets under the scheme remain unchanged (see MNRE Revises Solar Target Under PM-KUSUM Scheme).
Adani partners with Israel Innovation Authority: Adani Group's Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) has entered a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Israel Innovation Authority (IIA) to leverage the broad Israeli technology ecosystem. The duo will set up a 'cutting-edge' innovation platform to enable Adani businesses to access tech solutions provided by Israeli start-ups. Such projects will be supported by the partnership. The collaboration will be explored in the space of renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), logistics, 5G, agriculture—the core businesses for Adani.