NEXTracker delivers India’s largest solar tracker plant for 105 MW PV project in Punjab

NEXTracker, a Flex company, announced today it has delivered its award-winning PV technology to India’s largest solar tracker power plant, in collaboration with its customer, Adani Power Ltd. Located in the State of Punjab, the project is 105 MW and is already 50% installed and commissioned. This is the first phase of a strategic agreement between Adani and NEXTracker to supply tracker technology, design consultation, installation and commissioning support to Adani’s PV power plant deployments in India and around the world.

“We are playing an active role in supporting India’s National Action Plan for Climate Change to help our country reach 100 GW by 2022 by deploying 10 GW of solar in that time,” said Jayant Parimal, CEO of Adani Green Energy. “We’re very pleased to be incorporating NEXTracker’s advanced solar tracking system into our utility-scale PV projects; their high quality components and solid financial backing by Flex are important aspects of our solar strategy. After evaluating NEXTracker’s technology, we found the system’s balanced design and robust wind capability are ideal for our environmental and soil conditions, and will help maximize energy yield and cost savings.”

“Adani is a visionary energy and infrastructure firm that’s focused on ensuring that development – especially in emerging economies – is sustainable; their leadership has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to deploying clean technologies to meet the world’s growing energy needs,” noted NEXTracker CEO Dan Shugar. “We’re honored to be partnering with Adani to design and deploy high-performance utility-scale solar power projects.

India is poised for intensive ground mount solar deployment over the next decade according to a recent report by Deutche Bank Market Research, with 100-fold solar industry growth over the last five years. As a more modest figure, Greentech Media estimates that ground mount solar installations with solar trackers will reach 3GW by 2020, or 25% of total installed ground mount installations (estimated at 11.7GW).  Regardless, demand for solar is increasing at an aggressive pace and the prospects for wider PV adoption in India are promising thanks to favorable government policies and the region’s high irradiance.

NEXTracker’s balanced design, advanced wind capabilities, and rapid stowing features are ideal for this region known for its high winds and desert soil conditions. NEXTracker also has fewer foundations and assembly points, helping mitigate geotechnical risk and accelerate project construction schedules. With over 4 GW of tracker systems delivered to date, NEXTracker’s PV system technology, coupled with Adani’s extensive experience in energy infrastructure projects, aims to serve as a model for deployment of solar in India.