By Josie Le Blond
Tata Power said its total generation from solar had hit 49.83 MW and 796 MW from wind projects by 31 March, 2013 generation through clean sources in India such as hydro, wind and solar today stands at 873MW.
The company said it has a total operational capacity of more than 28MW, including a 25MW Mithapur project, Gujarat; 3MW at Mulshi, Maharashtra; along with rooftop solar installations.
Tata Power said its Mithapur project is one of the largest of its kind in the country and has been developed through its 100 percent subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy, that has signed a power purchase agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam.
The Mithapur solar power plant uses the modular, proven, and widely deployed crystalline silicon photo-voltaic technology to maximise power generation. The project helps in reducing an annual average of 37,696 tonnes of carbon dioxide, by producing an average of 39,597MWh per year of equivalent clean energy. The company said it is also developing a 28.8MW solar plant near Satara in Maharashtra.
Tatar Power said it also has an installed capacity of 397MW spread across five states – Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Rajasthan. The company has recently commissioned a 21MW wind project in Rajasthan.
It has three of its renewable energy projects registered under the Clean Development Mechanism programme of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC.
These projects include a 50.4MW wind power project at Samana, a 50.4 MW wind project at Khandke, Maharashtra, and a 25MW solar project at Mithapur, Gujarat. Another wind farm project is at an advanced stage of approval with UNFCCC.
“Our solar and wind energy assets are performing well and we are committed to reducing our carbon footprint through clean and renewable energy generation. Our aim is to have 20-25 percent of our generation portfolio from clean energy," said Anil Sardana, managing director of Tata Power.
The company said its global renewable energy projects under development include a 240MW geothermal project in Indonesia being developed with consortium partners Origin Energy, Australia and PT Supraco, Indonesia; and a South African joint venture with Exxaro called Cennergi which has been shortlisted as a preferred bidder for two wind projects of 234MW – 139MW at Amakhala and 95MW at Tsitsikamma.