Tata Power Solar Systems, a unit of Tata Power, has received a ₹538 cr engineering and construction order for ground-based solar power generation facilities from public sector energy service company EESL.
The various power generation equipment will be constructed at different locations in Maharashtra, and will together have a capacity of 100 MW.
The order has been given at the rate of Rs 5.38 cr per million watts of solar PV capacity, or Rs 53.8 per watt. This is much lower than the average cost of $2 per watt that setting up solar plants costs in a country like the US, but is higher than the rate for single location or solar farm projects in India.
The equipment have to be ready within one year, said Tata Power Solar.
With this, said Tata Power Solar, the company’s total EPC (engineering, procurement & construction) order book stands at 4,000 MW, worth ₹ 9,264 crore, at around Rs 23 per watt.
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is an energy service company, whose focus is to reduce energy wastage in India.
It does this by conducting research and coming up with projects and programs. Among some of its interventions have been bulk buying of LED bulbs and distributing them under the UJALA scheme, thus helping save thousands of crores of rupees for power consumers in India.
It has also since started a similar UJALA fan scheme under which it provides ultra efficient fans for around Rs 1,150 each.
The company is a joint venture of NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation, REC Limited and POWERGRID.
Tata Power is India’s largest integrated power player, present in everything from power generation to power distribution and EV charging.
The company’s solar unit has constructed several plants, such as the 150MW solar farm at Ayana at Ananthapur, a 50 MW plant Kasargod at Kerala and the under-construction 105 MW floating solar plant at Kayamkulam.