Indian developers switch on 470 MW of hybrid wind, solar

From pv magazine India

CleanMax, a Mumbai-based renewables specialist, has announced the commissioning of a 400 MW wind-solar hybrid plant for offtake by commercial and industrial sector clients. The developer said the project is located in the Indian state of Gujarat and was commissioned within 14 months.

The plant features 70 wind turbines, 2,52,010 solar panels, and 133 inverters. It will help to offset 7,41,440 metric tons of CO2 per year.

CleanMax manages more than 1.6 GW of operational wind and solar projects. It is backed by institutional investors such as Brookfield Renewable, Augment Infrastructure, and Danish Investment Fund (IFU). Recently, it raised $360 million from Brookfield Renewable. The developer said the funding will support its growth plans to become a 5 GW platform within the next three to four years. 

In a separate development, Fourth Partner Energy has commissioned a 70 MW wind-solar project in Gujarat. The offtakers include Filatex, Linde, Nexus Malls (a Blackstone Group company), and Deccan Chemicals.

Fourth Partner Energy said it executed the project within 10 months. It expects the plant to generate nearly 163 million units of clean energy annually. The project features 14 wind turbines supplied by GE.

Karan Chadha, head of business development at Fourth Partner Energy, said the 70 MW plant is the first of many hybrid projects in the pipeline for Fourth Partner Energy. The company will soon commission projects across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

“The C&I renewables market in India is set to grow by over 45 GW in the next five years – and Fourth Partner Energy is committed to meeting that demand by offering the entire suite of integrated RE solutions,” said Chadha.

Fourth Partner Energy is supplying 10.8 MW of electricity to Filatex, one of India’s leading polyester yarn manufacturers. The hybrid plant has been funded by Aseem Infrastructure Finance, which is backed by NIIF (National Investment and Infrastructure Fund). Aseem Infra provided a customized debt solution of up to INR 300 crore for the project.

Fourth Partner Energy has installed 1.3 GW of solar and wind assets and is targeting a 3 GW portfolio across India and Southeast Asia by 2025.

“For off-site renewables, our focus is currently across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. We believe the Centre’s waiver of transmission charges for renewables projects under ISTS (Inter State Transmission System) will be a game-changer,” said Chadha. Fourth Partner Energy is currently backed by Norfund and TPG’s RISE Fund. “We are currently constructing a 600 MW project in Karnataka under this mechanism.”