NTPC has sharpened its focus on renewable energy and this sector is going to be the company’s next pillar of growth, according to NTPC CMD, Gurdeep Singh.
Singh said that as part the Chairman’s Speech at the company’s 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held on September 28, 2021.
NTPC, last year, formed a separate subsidiary to undertake activities in the field of renewable energy. Called “NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd” or NTPC-REL, this wholly-owned subsidiary will be engaged in areas like solar energy, wind energy, hydrogen fuel, energy storage, etc.
Singh noted that NTPC-REL will also come up for listing on stock exchanges, in due course.
In keeping with the Government of India’s target of achieving 450 GW of renewable energy (RE) capacity by 2030, NTPC has also sharpened its focus on RE as the next pillar of growth. “Your company has prepared its business plans to tap this opportunity appropriately while continuing work on operating its thermal fleet efficiently, economically, and reliably to meet the growing energy needs of the country,” observed Singh in his address to shareholders.
NTPC has enhanced its RE capacity target to 60 GW by 2032, from 30 GW earlier. “We have made plans for creating a renewables portfolio which could be as large as the thermal portfolio,” Singh asserted.
RE capacity in the making
In FY21, NTPC won a total of 1,560 mw of renewable energy capacity through the competitive bidding route. This, according to the company’s CMD, was 15 per cent of the total bids finalized in the country during that year. In FY22 so far, NTPC has already won 2,765 mw worth of renewable energy capacity. It may be mentioned that in the recently-concluded solar auction by IREDA, “CPSU (Scheme II, Tranche 3,” NTPC won the development rights for 1.9 GW of solar capacity. “NTPC has now emerged as a serious player in Indian RE sector,” noted Gurdeep Singh.
NTPC-REL has received approval from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for setting up of a 4,750-mw renewable energy park in Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, which is the largest in the country. Approval has also been received from Government of Madhya Pradesh for development of solar plant in the land acquired for a coal-based plant. Additionally, discussions are also in progress with various state governments for allocation of land parcels and water bodies. With all these, activities have commenced for reaching the targeted capacity addition, according to Gurdeep Singh.
According to its CMD, NTPC is also actively pursuing various options for increasing its geostrategic reach. NTPC has undertaken project management consultancy (PMC) assignments for 1,835 mw worth of solar capacity as part of various programmes under the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
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Other Green initiatives
- NTPC’s proposed “eco park” at the ash pond of the decommissioned Badarpur power plant is currently in developmental phase and is likely to be completed by FY23. Located in NCT-Delhi, the park is expected to act as “Green Lungs” for the National Capital Region, NTPC said.
- All coal units are being equipped with flue gas desulphurization (FGD) system for reducing SOx emission. Under the ‘Blue Sky’ initiative, NTPC is addressing the issue of stubble burning in the northern part of India; it has started co-firing biomass waste in 14 of its coal plants.
Featured photograph shows NTPC’s floating solar plant at its Simhadri power complex in Andhra Pradesh.
