Hitachi Energy India Limited (Hitachi Energy) has been awarded a contract by NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) to supply power transformers for their upcoming 4.75 GW renewable energy park in Gujarat, which is part of India’s largest solar park. Spread over 72,600 hectares in Kutch, this solar park supports the country’s efforts towards carbon-neutral future with its increasing green energy footprint. NTPC REL is a wholly owned subsidiary of the power giant NTPC LTD.
Hitachi Energy will provide ten (10) nos as part of this project. 315 MVA 400/33/33 kV transformers manufactured at its Transformers factory in Vadodara. This will be the largest rating of transformer, used by solar power evacuation so far.
“The transition from fossil fuels to renewables has only just begun and we are proud to be part of this ambitious project by NTPC Renewable Energy Limited,” said N Venu, Managing Director and CEO, India and South Asia, Hitachi Energy.
India is progressively building a carbon-neutral future with an ambitious target to achieve net zero emissions by 2070 and meet half of the electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030. According to a report* by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), India’s total installed renewable energy capacity stood at 161.28 GW as of July 2022. This solar energy park is estimated to produce enough electricity to support 8 million** people.
Hitachi Energy is advancing the world’s energy system, pioneering innovative solutions needed to integrate renewables at scale. As of today, around one third of green power in India flows through Hitachi Energy technologies, such as transformers.
The made-in-India power transformers are critical components in power systems. They pool the generated power from the renewable source and step it up at the pooling station to synchronize and feed into inter-state/intra-state transmission system. Their availability and longevity have a major impact on grid reliability and better voltage control even with intermittent supply while the Company’s eco-design transformers enable sustainability requirements.
The transformers are manufactured using fossil-free electricity in Hitachi Energy’s factory in Maneja. Last year, Hitachi Energy had set targets in its Sustainability 2030 plan to become 100 percent fossil-free electricity in its own operations hitting the target in December 2021.
*Central Electricity Authority (https://cea.nic.in/installed-capacity-report.)
**Calculated basis average per capita electricity consumption in India to be around 815kwh