- HPCL's big leap towards green energy
- Accelerating solar, agro-solar and floating solar projects
- Now working on more than 200 MWp solar projects
Mumbai: Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) has expanded investments and projects in the renewable energy sector to make its operations more environmentally friendly and accelerate the transition to clean energy sources. Along with conventional solar projects, the company has emphasized on innovative projects like agri-solar and floating solar.
On the occasion of Renewable Energy Day, HPCL gave information about its various projects. The company's renewable energy subsidiary HPCL Renewable and Green Energy Limited (HPRGE) is working on various models aimed at efficient use of land, water and existing infrastructure along with clean power generation.
HPCL's renewable energy portfolio of 253 MW
HPCL currently has an operational renewable energy portfolio of 253 MW of solar and wind power projects combined. This includes a wind power portfolio of 100.9 MW capacity. This wind energy is being used for captive consumption, utility supply and power trading on the Indian Energy Exchange. HPRGE is implementing more than 200 MWp solar projects at various locations to further strengthen its presence in the renewable energy sector. These include ground-mounted, rooftop, agro-solar and floating solar projects.
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Agriculture and power generation on the same land
HPCL's Agri-Solar Project set up in Delhi is an important part of this initiative. Green electricity is being supplied to 24 retail outlets of HPCL in Delhi from this project under 'Group Net Metering' policy. In this project, solar panels are installed at a height of more than 3.5 meters. So it is possible to continue farming under the panels. This model attempts to achieve both agriculture and renewable power generation on the same land.
Floating solar projects on reservoirs
Along with land-based solar projects, HPCL has also focused on setting up floating solar projects using reservoirs. The first floating solar project in the reservoir of HPCL's Visakhapatnam refinery has been commissioned. Simultaneously, HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited's construction of two more floating solar projects in Pachapadra and Nachna reservoirs is underway. Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will also be included in the project at Nachna. Therefore, the generated renewable energy can be used more efficiently.
Saving water along with power generation
HPCL said the benefits of floating solar projects are not limited to clean power generation. Having solar panels on the surface of reservoirs can help reduce water loss due to evaporation.
Using existing reservoirs also reduces the need to acquire additional land for solar projects. Therefore, renewable energy, water conservation and use of available infrastructure are being combined through these projects.
Solar project also in Jalgaon in Maharashtra
HPRGE has commissioned two ground-mounted solar projects at Jalgaon in Maharashtra and Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh to green up HPCL's marketing locations. Mechanical work of two more ground-mounted projects in Gujarat and Haryana has been completed. Along with this, the company also said that significant progress has been made in the construction of a 140 MWp solar project at Galiveedu in Andhra Pradesh.
Refineries and terminals will also be more 'green'
More utility-scale captive green-power projects are being developed by HPRGE to meet the renewable energy needs of HPCL's refineries, terminals and marketing locations in various states. According to Mohit Dhawan, CEO, HPRGE, renewable energy is not just about clean power generation but also about more efficient use of available resources. Agro-solar projects enable agriculture and power generation on the same land, while floating solar uses the available surface of reservoirs to reduce land stress and help conserve water. These initiatives of HPCL are trying to accelerate the goals of clean energy generation, efficient use of land and water and greening of the company's operations in the coming years.
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