Enel Scores First Solar Tender win in India, 420 MW Project in Rajasthan

Enel Green Power has won its first solar tender in India, has been awarded the right to sign a 25-year energy supply contract for a 420 MW solar project.

Enel Green Power has announced that it has, through its Indian renewable energy subsidiary EGP India – Avikiram Surya India, won its first solar tender in India and has thus been awarded the right to sign a 25-year energy supply contract for a 420 MW solar project in India, which will be located in the state of Rajasthan and will be its first solar plant in the country.

The project was awarded under the recently concluded 2 GW Ninth Tranche of the national solar tender issued by the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI). The tender saw India make a huge leap in the renewables industry as tariffs dropped to a record low of Rs 2.36 ( USD 0.0031) per unit, for the very first time.

Enel has been officially awarded 300 MW grid-tied (AC) capacity under the tender after it submitted a proposal for the same capacity with its bid of Rs 2.37/ kWh. The remaining 120 MW capacity is expected to be dc capacity which the Italian major will execute near its project.

“This new tender award is testament to Enel Green Power’s continuous commitment to expand its clean, sustainable energy footprint, with the aim to move forward along the Enel Group’s path towards full decarbonisation,” said Antonio Cammisecra, CEO of Enel Green Power.

“India represents an important market in strategic geography for our company, as it boasts a wealth of renewable resources and a highly competitive environment coupled with growing energy demand. We are proud to strengthen our presence in India with our first solar project, as we continue to contribute to the achievement of the country’s sustainable energy goals while providing clean energy with the most innovative technologies,” he added.

The construction of the solar plant, which is expected to start operations at the end of 2021, will involve an investment of approximately 180 million US dollars. Under the energy supply contract to be assigned to EGP pursuant to today’s tender, the solar project will supply specified volumes of energy over a 25-year period to SECI. The facility will be able to generate more than 750 GWh of renewable energy per year, enough to avoid the annual emission of around 681,600 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Enel Green Power, through EGP India, one of India’s leading renewable energy companies, owns and operates 172 MW of wind capacity producing around 340 GWh per year in Gujarat and Maharashtra.