Tata Power becomes India's largest renewable company with 3,060 MW operating capacity

Integrated power company Tata Power Co Ltd today said the company has become the largest renewable energy company in India with its non-fossil operating capacity reaching 3,060 Megawatt.

Tata Power said its non-fossil fuel portfolio comprises 693 MW hydro, 918 MW solar, 1,074 MW wind and 75 MW of waste gas-based generation.The company added that it the company has revised its share of non-fossil fuel based capacity up to 35-40 per cent by 2025.

In FY16, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, completed the acquisition of Welspun Renewables Energy Private Limited (WREPL) to become the largest Renewable Energy Company in India.

Welspun Renewables has one of the largest operating solar portfolios in India spread across ten states. It has about 1,008 MW of Renewable Power Projects comprising of about 862 MW Solar Power Projects and about 146 MW of wind power projects.

In FY16, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Power, completed the acquisition of Welspun Renewables Energy Private Limited (WREPL) to become the largest Renewable Energy Company in India. WREPL has one of the largest operating solar portfolios in India spread across ten states. It has about 1,008 MW of Renewable Power Projects comprising of about 862 MW Solar Power Projects and about 146 MW of Wind Power Projects.

"This is one of the many key milestones in our endeavor to generate 35-40 per cent of Tata Power's total generation capacity from clean energy sources. This mammoth leap is well in line with our aim to enhance and increase our non-fossil fuel capacity, and maintaining our value of sustainable growth,” Anil Sardana, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Tata Power, said.

Tata Power together with its subsidiaries and jointly controlled entities has an installed gross generation capacity of 10496 MW and a presence in all the segments of the power sector such as fuel security and logistics, generation, transmission, distribution and trading.

Power capacity additions: Plan target met in advance

October 2016 must count as a significant month for the Indian power sector. It was when the conventional power capacity additions met the targets set for the 12th Plan Period (2012-17). For the first time in history, the plan targets were met five months ahead of schedule.

The Centre aimed to get installed 88,537 MW of thermal, hydro and nuclear power capacity during the plan period; as at end October, the capacity additions were 88,928.22 MW, or 100.44 per cent of the target.

By the end of November, the number increased to 90,463.22 MW, or 102.18 per cent of the target, according to data provided by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA). However, beneath the broad numbers, the story is not as rosy. While thermal exceeded its targets, hydro and nuclear fell short.

Within thermal, State government and private sector projects exceeded their targets, while those of the Centre stayed below the finish line. As at the end of November, India’s electricity generation capacity from conventional sources, stood at 262,917.28 MW.

Adding the 45,916.95 MW of renewable energy capacity (wind, solar, biomass and small hydro), the total power capacity in the country stood at 308,834.28 MW. Coal power accounted for 187,802.88 MW of this. CEA’s data also shows that power deficit has been almost eliminated. In November 2016, peak time and non-peak time power deficit were down to 0.6 per cent and 0.7 per cent of the demand.

A number of completed thermal plants — notably, around 10,000 MW of gas-fired plants — are lying shut. For example, only one of the two 600 MW units of IL&FS in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, is operational, though the other unit is also ready for generation. Industry experts say that when these plants begin to produce energy, India will become surplus on power.

NTPC may start work at its proposed 1,320 MW thermal project in Bangladesh in the next six months

NTPC would be executing this project in joint venture with the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB). It would also execute another similar capacity project at Chittagong, a move aimed at mitigating the power shortages in the neighbouring nation.

The country's largest power producer NTPC would commence work on its 1,320 MW thermal project at Bangladesh in the next six months, a top company official today said.

"We might start work on the project in Khulna (Bangladesh) in the next six months," CMD NTPC Arup Roy Choudhury told reporters at an AIMA event here. NTPC would be setting up this project at Khulna in Bangladesh at an estimated investment of Rs 8,000 crore.

"Sourcing the coal is there responsibility...they will have to import it," Choudhury said. NTPC will also provide training and development to human

The coal-fired power plants are likely to be installed on a 50:50 equity basis to be run on imported coal and operated by NTPC. The project would be operational in four years from the date of commencement of construction.

resources of BPDB for productivity enhancement and efficiency of their existing power stations.

Meanwhile, NTPC's power trading arm NTPC Vidyut Vypar Nigam would export 250 MW of power to Bangladesh, from the company's 15% unallocated quota.

The transmission lines between India and Bangladesh are being set up under a pact signed between PowerGrid Corporation of India and BPDB, last year.

The interconnection between India and Bangladesh is being established through a 500-MW HVDC (high voltage direct current) link between India's eastern region and the western grid of Bangladesh.