Siemens Gamesa Commissions NTPC Wind-Solar Hybrid Pilot Project

Renewable energy firm Siemens Gamesa has announced the commissioning of 3.375 MW of wind-solar hybrid power pilot project for NTPC, in Bijapur district of Karnataka.

This was the smart grid-based renewable energy’s (SGRE’s) first hybrid project for the thermal power company.

The Wind Solar Hybrid project consists of an SG 2.0-114 wind turbine in the hybrid with 1.375 MW High Efficiency HiT solar panels, which was executed in Bijapur District in Karnataka. This is the first pilot renewable energy hybrid project in India that was developed from the engineering design stage by Siemens Gamesa.

Siemens Gamesa handled the entire infrastructure needed to operate the project together with the supply, setting up and commissioning of one unit of SG 2.0-114 wind turbine and provided complete solar turnkey EPC solution that included engineering and design of the solar farm, supply of Gamesa Electric inverter, setting up and commissioning of the 1.375 MW photovoltaic solar farm in hybrid with the wind turbine.

“The integrated approach of Hybrid brings in more muscle power for renewable energy projects thus elevating renewables to the status of mainstream energy source for the country,” Ramesh Kymal, CEO, Siemens Gamesa India, said.

Present in India since 2009, the accumulated base installed by Siemens Gamesa recently topped the 5-GW mark. The company has two blade factories in Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, and Halol in Gujarat, a nacelle factory in Mamandur near Chennai in Tamil Nadu and a repair centre in Red Hills, Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

Experts believe India is an ideal market for hybrid projects, given its long coastline that makes many rich in both wind and solar energy resources. States such as Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh have large capacities of both wind and solar power projects.

The ministry of new and renewable energy released a draft policy for setting up wind-solar-hybrid plants—where both windmills and solar panels are put up on the same piece of land. The government has been updating the policy too, which shows its urgency to stay in touch with changes.