
Indian Developers Energize 470 MW Hybrid Wind-Solar Plants
Posted 18/07/2023 11:55
CleanMax, a Mumbai-based renewables specialist, has completed the commissioning of a 400 MW wind-solar hybrid plant in Gujarat, India. This project, claimed to be the country's largest single hybrid project catering to the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, was built within 14 months.
Featuring 70 wind turbines, 252,010 solar panels, and 133 inverters, the plant is expected to offset 741,440 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually.
CleanMax currently manages over 1.6 GW of operational wind and solar projects and has received investments from institutional backers such as Brookfield Renewable, Augment Infrastructure, and the Danish Investment Fund (IFU). Recently, the company raised $360 million from Brookfield Renewable to support its growth plans of becoming a 5 GW platform within the next three to four years.
In a separate development, Fourth Partner Energy has commissioned a 70 MW wind-solar project in Gujarat. The offtakers for this project include Filatex, Linde, Nexus Malls (a Blackstone Group company), and Deccan Chemicals.
Fourth Partner Energy executed the project within 10 months and expects it to generate nearly 163 million units of clean energy annually. The project comprises 14 wind turbines supplied by GE.
Karan Chadha, head of business development at Fourth Partner Energy, stated that the 70 MW plant is the first of many hybrid projects the company has in its pipeline. It plans to commission projects across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.
Chadha highlighted the potential growth in the C&I renewables market in India, projecting an increase of over 45 GW in the next five years. Fourth Partner Energy aims to meet this demand by offering integrated renewable energy solutions.
Moreover, Fourth Partner Energy has supplied 10.8 MW of electricity to Filatex, a leading polyester yarn manufacturer in India. The hybrid plant received funding from Aseem Infrastructure Finance, backed by the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF). Aseem Infra provided a customized debt solution of up to INR 300 crore for the project.
With 1.3 GW of solar and wind assets already installed, Fourth Partner Energy aims to build a 3 GW portfolio across India and Southeast Asia by 2025. The company is currently supported by Norfund and TPG's RISE Fund.
Chadha also mentioned that the company is constructing a 600 MW project in Karnataka under the government's waiver of transmission charges for renewables projects within the Inter State Transmission System (ISTS), which is expected to be a game-changer for the industry.