Tata Power Completes 6MW Rooftop Solar Project at Mangalore Refinery

India’s largest private sector power company, Tata Power has completed the installation of a 6 MW rooftop solar project across 34 rooftops of the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited, (MRPL) which is owned by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

Tata Power chose 95 string inverters for the project from PV inverter manufacturer Goodwe, which has an Indian office in Mumbai. The GoodWe MT Series inverters (50-70kW), which are aimed at the C&I solar market, have 30% DC input oversizing and a continuous maximum AC output power overload of 15% for use on large-scale commercial rooftops and ground-mounted solar PV plants. The  Suzhou, China-based firm claims to have completed global installations of over 12 GW so far.

According to the data shared by the officials, these solar plants generate more than 24,000 units per day which over 12 months yields close 8.8 million units of power, enough to provide for a majority of the power demands of the refinery.

Speaking during the inauguration of the plant, Goodwe CEO, Huang Min said, “We are delighted to be awarded with a number of megawatt solar rooftops in India. We will continue to focus on increasing our presence in terms of development and construction activities in India with excellent quality and service.”

Recently, Tata Power through their power distribution company Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), launched its ambitious project of installing smart meters for all its 16 lakh consumers in the national capital. “We are developing a very robust infrastructure for the smooth transition from electronic meters to smart metering and ready to take a lead in the mission of developing a smart grid for smart cities with the integration of renewables, rooftop, and electric vehicles as well,” said Sanjay Banga, the chief executive officer of TPDDL.

Tata Power was one of two successful bidders for the development of a 250 MW solar project at the Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka.

In June, Tata Power through its 100% subsidiary Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) won a 150MW Solar PV Project on a long-term basis in Maharashtra.

For the oil sector, this project by Tata Power will be a good precedent to make a similar move on other large refinery sites in the country. Indian Oil and Oil India had earlier announced plans for a 1 GW solar park in Madhya Pradesh to power its refinery operations.  Updates on that plan are not available yet.