RoboTechnik bags TP Solar’s solar equipment order; Tata Steel announces 10.8 MW floating solar plant; Sterling & Wilson Renewable Energy Limited to build 300 MW AC PV plant for NTPC REL; TPREL to install 41 MW solar plant for PV manufacturing; IREDA upgraded under CPSE listing.
Chinese equipment for TP Solar: Chinese solar cell automated production equipment maker RoboTechnik Intelligent Technology has bagged a RMB 165 million ($22.6 million) order from India’s TP Solar Limited of the Tata Power Company. The duo previously signed an equipment supply agreement in 2020 worth RMB 13.6 million followed by another one worth RMB 1.9 million in 2022. The official statement from RoboTechnik does not specify any timeline or capacity of the order delivery.
10.8 MW floating solar power plant: Tata Steel Limited (TSL) has commissioned a 10.8 MW floating solar power plant in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand on the upper cooling pond of its steel plant. According to an official statement reported by the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, the project was energized by Tata Power under an agreement for 41 MW rooftop, floating and ground mounted solar installed capacity for Tata Steel. It added that this project takes the operational solar power facilities at Tata Steel’s Jamshedpur location to 20.34 MW.
New order for Sterling and Wilson: Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Limited has won an order from NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) to build a 300 MW AC solar power plant at Khavda RE Power Park in Gujarat. The 3rd contract for SWRE from NTPC REL this year has a total contract price of INR 15.35 billion ($185 million), including taxes. SWRE said the new order complements its existing portfolio of around 2.47 GW AC currently the company has under execution for NTPC REL in Khavda. It will help the company leverage the low module price environment globally.
41 MW solar plant for solar manufacturing: Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) will use a captive solar power plant with 41 MW installed capacity to power its greenfield 4.3 GW solar cell and module manufacturing plant at Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu. The solar power plant at Thoothukudi will generate 101 million units once it is commissioned 12 months from the signing of the project development agreement with TP Solar Limited. The new solar plant will be developed, operated and maintained by a special purpose vehicle TP Govardhan Creatives Limited for TP Solar. US DFC is funding the 4.3 GW fab with $425 million (see US Funding For Solar PV Manufacturing In India).
IREDA upgraded as CPSE: The Government of India has upgraded the Indian Renewable Energy Agency (IREDA) from Schedule B to Schedule A of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSE). This opens the door for its upgradation from Mini Ratna (Category-I) to the Navratna category, which will increase its financial autonomy. Already the largest pure-play green financing non-banking finance company in India, IREDA will be able to take more strategic decisions to further renewable energy solutions in the country, announced the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
