AmpIn Energy Transition to Electrify Eastern India with 600 MW Renewable Energy

AmpIn Energy Transition, a renewable energy transition platform, is set to make a significant investment of INR 3,100 crores for setting up renewable energy projects of over 600 MW and an integrated manufacturing facility of solar cells and modules. Investments are planned in West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Northeastern states.

In the region, the firm has the largest solar open access portfolio of 200 MWp, the largest utility PPA with Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation (CESC) for 250 MWp of wind solar hybrid project and the largest Behind the Meter industrial solar project of 10.5 MW for an industrial customer.

With its diversified portfolio of assets, AmpIn says that is helping customers save about 25% – 40% on their energy costs and also helps mitigate their carbon footprint substantially. The company is serving marquee customers in the region across diverse sectors such as cement & steel, IT and data centre, heavy engineering, FMCG, utility etc through its projects.

Pinaki Bhattacharyya, MD and CEO, AmpIn Energy Transition says, “Time has come for the Eastern region, which is the home of coal, to embrace renewable energy. We believe that with the right policy intervention like Green Energy Open Access, the shift to renewables is unstoppable. Also, the integrated solar cell and module manufacturing capacity that we are establishing in the region, would strengthen the push to renewables.” He added, “Collaboration between industry, solution providers, the financial sector, and government at both central and state levels is also crucial for a successful transition. The four wheels that must be synchronised for energy transition: financial markets, industry that decarbonises and saves energy costs, energy transitioners that create solutions for renewable energy transition, and government that sets the right policies to support the transition for the Eastern region.”

AmpIn is also establishing a state-of-the-art 1.3 GW solar manufacturing facility in Odisha.

AmpIn Energy Transition boasts a total portfolio of 3 GWp spread across 17 states in the country. Headquartered in New Delhi with regional offices in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, AmpIn is run by a team of professionals and backed by leading institutional investors from Europe, Asia and North America. AmpIn has a balanced portfolio of renewable energy projects providing C&I and utility customers a complete renewable energy transition solution by providing renewable energy while reducing the operating costs. Additionally, AmpIn has joined hands in a JV with Jupiter for a solar manufacturing unit of 1.3 GW .

What’s slowing the transition to renewable energy in eastern states? 

The eastern states of India are rich in coal and rely on mining heavily, thus, the transition to renewable energy here has been slow when compared to other parts of the country. At the same time, the high cost of land, especially in West Bengal and Bihar, is a major hurdle for the establishment of renewable energy projects.

The north-eastern region, on the other hand, faces challenges such as a difficult terrain (augmenting the cost of infrastructure to build projects) with the remoteness of villages that do not have access to electricity only aggravating the challenge. For the states in this region, hydro and gas have been a primary source of energy. Adding to the woes is the solar irradiance factor. Further, finding appropriate land is another challenge given that the state prohibits outsiders from buying land in tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.