SunEdison has signed a long-term power purchase agreement with Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) to provide 180 MWac of utility-scale solar power for the people of New Delhi. TPDDL is the largest electricity distribution utility in Delhi, and provides power to over 6 million people in India's capital city. This is the largest agreement that SunEdison has signed under the open access solar framework, which allows renewable energy providers to sell energy directly through the national grid to end customers.
"This 180 MW of solar power demonstrates that good things happen when you bring two of India's largest energy brands together," said Pashupathy Gopalan, SunEdison president of Asia-Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa. "The people of New Delhi will benefit from clean, reliable and affordable energy as a result of this project. This project makes a direct and powerful contribution towards India's goal of generating 100GW of solar power by 2022."
"Renewable energy is a big focus for TPDDL, and signing this power purchase agreement with SunEdison highlights our commitment," said Praveer Sinha, Tata Power Delhi Distribution's CEO and managing director. "SunEdison is a globally renowned company and we are sure that our partnership will pave the way for a new wave of projects to support India's renewable energy mission."
The solar power plants for this project will be built in Madhya Pradesh and are expected to supply TPDDL with electricity over the next 20 years. The plants are projected to generate 375,000 MWh a year, and eliminate the emission of approximately 300,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to taking more than 54,000 cars off the road.
The operation and maintenance of the solar power plants will be performed by SunEdison Services, which provides 24/7 asset management, monitoring and reporting services.