Acen, partners set to start $220-M solar power project in India

AC Energy Corp. (Acen) and partners are gearing up to start building a new $220-million solar power project in India with an installed capacity of 420 megawatts as their initial two solar farms start commercial operations.

These are the 140-megawatt-peak Sitara Solar project in Rajasthan state and the 70-MWp Paryapt Solar in Gujarat state.

Both projects were developed by UPC-AC Energy Solar, a joint venture with UPC Solar Asia-Pacific which is, in turn, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-based UPC Renewables.

Considering that solar panels operate below their rated or installed capacity, the Sitara project is equipped with alternate current (ac) inverters that enables it to produce 100 MW. Similarly, Paryapt is also rated at 50 MWac.

Acen said in a statement that, with Sitara and Paryapt having gone commercial, UPC-AC Energy Solar was ready to build their 420- MWp—300 MWac—in Madhya Pradesh state.

UPC Renewables named this project Masaya Solar which cost an estimated $220 million and rated at 450 MWp and 300 MWac.

UPC Renewables said Masaya would start operation by March 2022 and would supply electricity to state-owned Solar Energy Corp. of India under a 25-year contract.

“Switching on our first two solar projects in India is a major milestone that strengthens our position in India’s renewables space,” AC Energy International chief operating officer Patrice Clausse said in a statement.

Together, Sitara and Paryapt comprise more than 466,000 solar panels which are capable of producing about 358 gigawatt-hours yearly. This is equivalent to an estimated 323,990 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions avoided.

“We are pleased to commission these two projects on time and within the construction budget despite many challenges due to COVID-19 pandemic delays and rising material costs,” UPC-AC Energy Solar chief executive Pranab Kumar Sarmah said.