NEXGEN GREEN ENERGIES LIGHT UP THE WAY

While India is adding huge capacities in solar and wind, it is the next level of renewables - hybrid, floating solar, micro/mini-grids and bio-energy that will define the future.

- P.B.JAYAKUMAR

ADDITIONAL BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM

47,244MW/2,36,220MWh

Sinha formed a rural electrification company — Husk Power Systems — headquartered in the U.S. Husk has now built a total of 300 mini-grids in India and Nigeria. Husk’s business model is to design, build and operate 100% renewable plants (20-250kW) using mainly solar power and distribution networks of 4-5 km, and charge customers 30% lower than diesel gensets. “The potential of micro-grids in India is huge as it will take an integration of decentralised energy resources such as micro-grids with the centralised grid to systematically transition to the net-zero goal. We have already identified a pipeline of more than 450 sites,” says Manoj Sinha, founder and CEO, Husk.

Tata Power Company (TPC), one of India’s largest integrated power majors, has also started work on hydro pumped storage projects (PSP) projects. PSP is a commonly used technology, in which water is pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher one using lowcost, surplus off-peak electricity to run generators. During peak hour demand, stored water is released through turbines to produce electricity to balance shortages in the grid.

TPC will invest about ₹13,000 crore in two projects — a 1,800MW PSP at Shirawata in Pune and a 1,000MW PSP at Bhivpuri in Raigad. “We will commission these two by 2027-2028 and have identified three potential sites with 9,000MW capacity,” says Praveer Sinha, CEO and MD, Tata Power.

In Mumbai, serial entrepreneur and Avaada Group chairman Vineet Mittal is also busy planning a new venture in renewables. His seven-year-old firm is into renewable energy generation with 4.5GW operating capacity in solar and wind and 4.5-5GW under construction. Avaada plans to manufacture solar PV cells, green ammonia, green methanol, and sustainable aviation fuel and energy storage solutions.