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saurabh

Indian Coal Miner NLC Issues 500 Megawatt Solar Tender

written by saurabh

Moving forward with its stated target to aggressively add solar power capacity, Indian coal mining company NLC has issued a tender to set up 500 megawatts in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Each project shall have a minimum capacity of 50 megawatts each and no more than 10 projects shall be set up. Developers shall have 12 months from the date of project being awarded to commission the projects.

Developers shall be free to use either Indian-made solar modules or imported modules at their projects.

Power generated from the projects shall be sold to the state utility of Tamil Nadu under a long-term power purchase agreement. Developers shall be responsible for operation and maintenance for a period of 15 years.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation or NLC Limited has set a target to install 4,000 megawatts of solar capacity in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, and Rajasthan. These projects would be implemented under the National Solar Mission scheme announced by the central government.

NLC recently quashed plans to set up a large solar power project in Rajasthan due to low demand from the state utilities. It is unclear if Tamil Nadu utility shall procure the entire 500 megawatts as it has already signed power purchase agreements with several solar power projects.

NLC currently operates 10 megawatts of solar power project and has 65 megawatts under construction.

12/21/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Delhi Metro To Run Trains Using Solar Power From Next Year

written by saurabh

India’s largest subway system is set up fully switch to solar power from next year with an aim to reduce its growing carbon footprint.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation chief Mangu Singh told reporters that the subway system shall fully shift to solar power to run trains and support infrastructure, like lighting at stations, from next year.

DMRC shall maintain backup power systems in case of any eventuality. There have been no reports so far to indicate that the the DMRC shall use battery storage systems as well.

Currently, DMRC has a peak demand of 150 megawatts which is expected to increase to 250 megawatts on network expansion. DMRC has signed an agreement with Rewa solar power park, proposed for installation in the state of Madhya Pradesh, to acquire 250 megawatts electricity. Power from that project should start flowing from next year. The solar power park is stalled to have a total installed capacity of 750 megawatts.

Delhi Metro already operates several rooftop solar power systems at many of its stations. The rooftop system fulfil the electricity needs of the stations. The Corporation is set to expand this network of rooftop solar power systems and targets to have installed rooftop solar capacity of 50 megawatts by 2020.

Since its inception Delhi Metro has taken several measures to reduce its carbon footprint and maintain sustainability. Coaches used by Delhi Metro have regenerative braking systems installed.

12/20/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

World’s Second Largest Zinc Producer To Go Solar

written by saurabh

Hindustan Zinc Limited will join scores of Indian companies ready to set up solar power projects to meet their captive needs.

The world’s second largest zinc producer – Hindustan Zinc Limited, part of the Vedanta Group – will set up 115 megawatts of solar power capacity for captive consumption.

According to company officials, the capacity shall be set up in two phases – 15 megawatts and 100 megawatts. In the first phase, 10 megawatts capacity shall be set up near a smelter facility while a 5 megawatts project will be set up close to a zinc mine.

The 100 megawatts capacity shall also be used for company’s own power needs but the officials reportedly did not disclose the location of the project.

The company reported that the total investment needed for the 115 megawatts capacity is around Rs 630 crore ($93 million) which puts the per megawatt cost at just under Rs 5.5 crore ($810,000). This capital cost matches the one assumed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission to determine the solar power feed-in in tariff for the current financial year.

These projects planned by Hindustan Zinc will perhaps be among the cheapest large-scale solar power projects in India.

By setting up captive solar power projects the company shall fix its power costs for the entire project age, around 20-25 years thus making significant financial savings. Additionally, the projects shall also help the company meet its solar power purchase obligation.

Image by vectoropenstock.com for Cleantechies

12/20/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India’s Largest Power Producer, NTPC, Enters Wind Energy Market

written by saurabh

NTPC Limited, the largest power generation company in India, has finally entered the country’s largest renewable energy sector.

NTPC Limited recently announced that it will set up its first wind energy project after months of aggressive and continued push into the solar power market.

According to the company, a 50 MW wind energy project shall be set up in the western state of Gujarat. The project shall be executed by Inox Wind Energy Limited. The project is expected to require a total investment of Rs 323.35 crore.

So far, NTPC has been pushing for solar power projects and has perhaps the largest solar power capacity addition target in India. NTPC will serve as the cornerstone of India’s ultra mega solar power projects programme. India plans to add up to 40 gigawatts of solar power capacity through this programme up setting up solar power parks of capacity up to 4 gigawatts each.

Auctions for several such solar power parks has already begun and a number of developers have commissioned large-scale projects as well.

Being a government owned entity NTPC should have little to no problem in selling the power generated from the wind energy project. Several private companies that own wind energy projects have complained about the poor off-take of power by utilities due to higher tariffs of wind power.

12/19/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Greenko Energy Holdings Orders 616 Megawatts Solar Inverters From SMA

written by saurabh

Greenko Energy Holdings, which now controls solar power assets of SunEdison India, has given a large order of solar inverters.

SMA, one of India’s major solar inverters providers, has landed an order to supply 616 MW of inverters for Greenko’s solar power projects in the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. SMA shall supply Greenko with its ‘high-performance, cost-efficient’ Sunny Central 1000CP XT inverters.

The solar inverters are likely to be used at, perhaps, the largest solar power project being developed by a single company in India. SunEdison India had secured the rights to develop a 500 MW solar power project in Andhra Pradesh.

SunEdison had secured the project at a record-breaking tariff of ₹4.63 per kWh (US¢7.12/kWh) beating several leading project developers, including Trina Solar, SkyPower, ACME Solar, Aditya Birla, Azure Power, Welspun Energy, ReNew Power, and Suzlon Energy.

Greenko Energy Holdings seems to be progressing well with the project. Recently, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) received payment of $30 million as fees for the development of a 500 MW project. The project was secured by SunEdison India through competitive auction.

12/19/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Eccopia Wins First Robotic Solar Panel Cleaning Contract

written by saurabh

With rapidly increasing competition in the Indian solar power market project developers are looking to get the most out of their solar power panels in order to increase revenue and profit. Robotic panel cleaning solutions could be one such method to increase power generation.

Solairedirect India has signed an agreement with Eccopia, a provider of robotic panel cleaning solutions. As per the agreement, Eccopia shall service a 168 MW solar power project being developed by Solairedirect India in the Badhla solar power park in the western Indian state of Rajasthan.

The contract is the first for Eccopia which claims that its cleaning solutions shall save more than 1.5 billion liters of water. Located in India’s That desert, Badhla sees frequent sand storms that can cover the solar panels in dust and reduce power generation by up to 40%.

Badhla solar power park will be among the largest solar parks in India. The park is expected to host projects allocated under the state as well as the central policies. Once fully operational the park is expected to house more than 2,000 megawatts (MW) of solar power capacity.

“We expect to harness Ecoppia’s revolutionary cleaning system to dramatically raise output and lower costs. This type of technological breakthrough not only benefits our own business interests, but the solar energy sector as a whole,” said Gaurav Sood, Managing Director of Solairedirect India. “We are proud to be one of the world’s first solar energy providers to adopt Ecoppia’s cutting-edge, autonomous robotic panel cleaning paradigm,” he concluded.

“We’re proud to cooperate with forward-thinking companies like ENGIE in what is truly a true revolution in renewable energy,” said Eran Meller, CEO of Ecoppia. “By ensuring cost-effective panel cleanliness on a day-to-day basis, we’ve created a new standard of plant output that is changing the way operators, investors and governments view the benefits of solar power,” he continued.

Eccopia has worked with some of the leading solar power project developers in India, including NTPC, SunEdison and Adani Power.

12/19/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

RenewSys Launches 100 MW Solar Cell Production Line

written by saurabh

RenewSys India Private Limited has started production at its newly commissioned 100 MW solar cell manufacturing line.

The company reported that the new production line is high automated and has been installed with the help of German consultancy Solsol GmbH. The company had announced plans to significantly increase its solar cell production capacity earlier this year.

RenewSys had a 30 MW line operational before this new line was commissioned. In January the company had announced that it would give a repeat order of 100 MW to further increase the production capacity. The company eventually aims to increase its solar cell production capacity to 500 MW per year.

Following the government-backed push for solar power, several module manufacturers have announced plans to increase their production capacity while some companies have plans to enter the solar equipment manufacturing sector.

India is looking to offer a financial support package of $3.1 billion to solar power equipment manufacturing sector. The support, possibly in the form capital cost support, could be offered on per MW basis.

11/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

ACWA Power Launches Separate Renewable Energy Company

written by saurabh

With its global aggressive push in the renewable energy sector, Saudi Arabia-based company ACWA Power has launched a separate company to take control of its clean energy assets.

ACWA Power RenewCo shall absorb around 1 GW of operational renewable energy assets. The company stated that all these projects have been secured through competitive bidding process and are tied up in long-term power purchase agreements.

ACWA Power has been one of the pioneers in pushing the limits of competition in the solar power sector. An important jewel in its portfolio is the 200 MW solar power project in Dubai. The company had secured it at record tariff of US¢5.84/kWh following fierce competition.

Recently, it secured rights to develop 170 MW solar PV project in Morocco as part of the Noor-Ouarzazte solar power park. This capacity includes 70 MW project in the Ouarzazte solar power park, 80 MW project in Western Sahara’s Laayoune and 20 MW at Boujdour.

ACWA Power also operates a 50 MW concentrated solar power project in South Africa. The company is operating under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). The Bokpoort project has more than 9 hours of storage and can operate during the night as well.

AWCA Power, in partnership with Masdar Group, has also announced plans to set up 1.5 GW solar power and 500 MW wind energy capacity in Egypt. The company also announced plans to set up 340 MW wind energy project in Turkey.

11/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Indian State Of Haryana Announces 133 MW Solar Power Projects

written by saurabh

The government of the Indian state of Haryana has revealed plans to set up utility-scale solar power projects.

Haryana currently has little to no utility-scale solar power capacity operational under the state policy. The state did auction 150 MW solar power capacity last year but the project will expected to be installed in a neighbouring state where land is much cheaper.

Recently, the Chief Minister of the state announced that his government has identified prospective projects with cumulative capacity of 133 MW. No details, about the location or mode of allocation, are currently available.

The Chief Minister made this announcement at the inauguration of a 10 MW solar power project installed at a thermal power plant complex in the city of Panipat.

Earlier this year, the state government announced a solar power policy. The government announced that the new solar power policy will have a target of adding 4 GW capacity by 2022. This provides clarity to the project developers, who will know exactly how much demand for solar power is expected over the next few years.

The policy clarifies that the state will procure solar power in addition to what is mandated for it to acquire under the Renewable Purchase Obligation. To attract investments from private sector companies and entities, the policy exempts solar power projects from electricity duty and cross-subsidy charges.

11/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

GE To Set Up 500 MW Solar Power Capacity In Nigeria

written by saurabh

General Electric has become the latest foreign company to jump on the solar power bandwagon in Nigeria.

According to media reports, General Electric has signed memorandum of understanding with Nigeria to set up five solar power projects of 100 MW capacity each in the west African country. These projects shall come up in the states of Borno, Kebbi, Nassarawa, Niger and Taraba.

Over the last few months several foreign companies have either directly or in partnership with local firms signed agreements to set up large-scale solar power projects in Nigeria.

In July, Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) signed the first power purchase agreements with solar power project developers. The NBET signed 12 PPAs with projects of 975 MW cumulative capacity. The developers shall sell power from these projects at US¢11.5/kWh for a period of 20 years.

A joint venture between Nigeria-based Nigus Greenergy and South Africa-based Volt Renewables signed an agreement to set up 300 MW solar power capacity. Paris-based investment company GreenWish Partners and Dubai-based Phanes Group separately signed deals to install 100 MW and 300 MW solar power capacity, respectively.

The development of solar power projects in Nigeria has full support and regulatory backing of the government. Last year, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission approved feed-in tariff regulations for renewable energy sourced electricity. As per the provisions of the regulations, electricity distribution companies will be required to source at least 50% of their total procurement from renewable energy sources. The Commission has also mandated that the balance 50% electricity would have to be sourced from Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Company.

11/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Gamesa Receives First Order For Its Largest Turbine

written by saurabh

Gamesa claimed a ‘milestone in its sales and product strategy’ as it landed the first order for its largest wind turbine model.

According to a press release issued by the company, an order for 18 units of G132-5.0 MW has been received from the renewable energy subsidiary of Sinohydro, one of China’s largest manufacturing groups. Gamesa shall be responsible for the supply, installation and commissioning of the turbines at Nangang wind complex in Tianjin.

“This contract marks an important strategic landmark for Gamesa: not only is it the maiden order from the 5-MW platform in Asia, it is the first signed order for the G132-5.0 MW”, explained Álvaro Bilbao, Gamesa’s CEO in China.

The turbines are expected to be supplied during Q4 2017 while the project is expected to be commissioned during Q1 2018.

Gamesa claims that the G132-5.0 MW is the most powerful onshore wind turbine model in the world. A single unit can generate enough electricity to meet the demand of 5,000 households for a year.

The company claims to be the leading non-Chinese wind turbine manufacturer in 2015. With a presence of 16 years in the Chinese market, Gamesa has supplied over 4,000 MW of wind turbines and had a share of 13% in MW sales in 2015.

In September this year, the company also announced that it installed the highest wind towers in Asia. The company installed 33 wind turbines of rated capacity 2.0-2.1 MW at 153 meter height in Thailand.

11/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

1.1 GW Solar PPAs To Be Signed Soon In India

written by saurabh

One of India’s largest solar power tender will finally see fruition as power purchase agreements are expected to be signed soon.

According to media reports, project developers that secured rights to develop more than 1 GW of utility-scale solar power projects in the eastern state of Jharkhand are expected to sign power purchase agreements soon.

The state government of Jharkhand had announced results of the bidding in March this year, however, the PPA could not finalised and signed as per schedule due to differences between the utilities and project developers over tariff bids.

Tariff bids placed by successful project developers range between Rs 5.08/kWh (US¢7.5/kWh) and Rs 7.95/kWh (US¢12.0/kWh). These are significantly higher than the lowest bid by Fortum Group placed for a project in Rajasthan earlier this year. The 70 MW project was secured by Fortum at Rs 4.34/kWh (US¢6.4/kWh).

The 1.2 GW tender was offered in two categories – 200 MW for projects up to 25 MW capacity and 1 GW for 26 MW to 50 MW capacity.

According to reports, ReNew Solar Power was the largest winner and secured 522 MW capacity across the two categories in a tariff range of Rs 5.08/kWh (US¢7.5/kWh) and Rs 5.55/kWh (US¢8.2/kWh). Adani Green Energy secured 10 projects of 50 MW capacity each in a tariff range of Rs 5.45/kWh (US¢8.0/kWh)and Rs 6.05/kWh (US¢8.9/kWh).

Suzlon Energy, a well-known name in the wind energy market and having recently entered the solar power market, secured rights develop 325 MW through 8 projects. Essel Green Energy secured 300 MW capacity projects; ACME Solar Holdings 225 MW capacity; SunEdison 200 MW capacity; and Hero Solar Energy 175 MW.

11/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

China’s Sany Plans 1 GW Renewable Energy Capacity In India

written by saurabh

Chinese industrial group Sany has announced plans to set up large-scale wind and solar power projects in India.

According to media reports, the group has signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government of Gujarat to set up 1 GW of wind and solar power capacity between 2017 and 2022. In addition to power projects the company shall also set up manufacturing facilities for wind energy equipment.

The total investment planned by Sany in the state’s clean energy and infrastructure development is $2 billion.

The group had announced similar plans last year following discussions with the Indian Prime Ministry Narendra Modi. At that time Sany had expressed plans to set up 2 GW renewable energy capacity in the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh at a total investment of $3 billion.

Several Chinese companies have announced partnerships with Indian companies. In July 2015, Zhenfa New Energy Science and Technology signed an agreement with Rolta Power to set up 2 GW of solar power projects by 2020, with a total investment of $2.03 billion. JA Solar entered an agreement with Essel Group to set up 1 GW manufacturing facility for solar cells and modules, while Hareon Solar announced partnership with ReNew Power to invest in and supply solar modules.

11/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

PPA Signed For 800 MW Dubai Solar Power Project At US¢2.99/kWh

written by saurabh

The iconic third phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park moved another step closer to being a reality after a power purchase agreement was signed for the project.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recently signed a power purchase agreement for the 800 MW project with Abu Dhabi-based Masdar Group.

In June, A Masdar Group–led consortium was confirmed as the winner of the 800 MW solar power tender that was floated by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) last year. The consortium includes Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and Gransolar Group.

The 800 MW phase III of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be commissioned by 2020 and will add to the existing 13 MW and the under-development 200 MW of capacity. The phase III tender set a record for lowest-ever solar PV tariff globally at that time. The Masdar-led consortium beat the phase II winning bid of 5.84¢/kWh with a bid of 2.99¢/kWh.

A fourth phase of the solar power park was announced by DEWA recently, which will have an installed capacity of 1 GW.

Initially, the Authority received as many as 95 expressions of interest. Many prospective bidders are believed to have formed joint ventures for the subsequent rounds of bidding, with around 20 left in the fray at the end of last year. These included biggies like SunEdison, ACWA Power, JinkoSolar–RWE, REC Solar, and Engie.

11/30/2016 1 comment

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