Sembcorp completes 800 MW SECI wind power projects in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat.

Sembcorp Energy India (SEIL), a unit of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries, recently announced that it has commissioned all the 800 MW of wind power projects which it had won in the first three auctions conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The commissioned wind plants are located in Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. Among these, the 300 MW project in Gujarat was awarded to the company in the third round of the SECI wind auctions where the lowest tariff of Rs 2.44/unit had been discovered.

The plants would be supplying power to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Punjab. As much as 85% of the equipment used in the project have been manufactured domestically, with equipment being supplied by Suzlon and Siemens Gamesa. With the new projects, SEIL’s renewable energy capacity has reached 1,730 MW. The company also operates 2,640 MW of thermal power plants.

While dedicating the commissioned wind projects to the nation through a virtual ceremony, Union power minister RK Singh said that the government is determined to achieve energy transition “for which we will ensure transparency, fairness and level playing field to our partners in the sector”. By 2022, the country plans to have 1,75,000 MW of installed renewable energy capacity, up from the current level of 87,669 MW. “Delivery of this 800 MW capacity is a testament to collaboration between industry and government,” said Vipul Tuli, managing director of SEIL.

In the recent years, most of the renewable capacity has been added through solar plants. Capacity addition of wind power units across the country has gradually moderated, with 2,068 MW getting installed in FY20 (against 1,580 MW in FY19, 1,766 MW in FY18 and 5,502 MW in FY17). Lower capacity addition has been attributed to the transition of wind power sector from feed-in tariff regime to transparent competitive bidding mechanism and issues relating to land acquisition in certain states and lack of adequate transmission infrastructure.

THE FINANCIAL EXPRESS