Team News Riveting
New Delhi, March 11
The 648 MW Kamuthi Solar Plant in Tamil Nadu, a flagship asset of the Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), has become the first plant of its class to turn water positive.
DNV, an independent global assessment and certification agency, issued the certification following a rigorous audit conducted on the plant’s water management in 2020-21.
The certification signifies that the water credit is higher than the water consumed to operate the solar plant. This is a significant achievement for Kamuthi which is world’s one of the largest single location solar projects spanning 2,500 acres, equivalent to 950 Olympic-sized football fields. Power generated at Kamuthi solar power plant provides clean green electricity to 265,000 homes. According to the DNV certification, the plant created a water credit of 52,982 m3, which is more than its water consumption for year 2020-21.
World’s largest solar power developer AGEL has portfolio of over 14,815 MW of projects at various stages of development.
The company created higher water credit by desilting of community ponds and development of additional rainwater harvesting potential in the neighbouring villages of Sengappadai, Pudukottai and Thathakulam. From clinical research on rainfall data and water use optimisation and supporting the local community in de-silting of the neighbourhood ponds, the marathon project blended traditional practices with technology. This included conducting satellite mapping and toposheet-based water basin study of the plant.
“This initiative has resulted in substantial increase in the storage capacity of water bodies. Besides the intervention on the grounds, we also introduced robotic solar modules cleaning technology to reduce water usage to a significant extent,” said AGEL spokesperson. He added that AGEL is aiming to be in Top-10 Companies of the World in ESG Benchmarking of Electric Utility Companies by 2022.
These measures were introduced in addition to a robust water conservation framework already in practice at the site. According to this framework, the company optimised its water requirement under ISO 14001, through various initiatives including robotic cleaning of solar panels, rainwater harvesting and use of drips among others.
About Adani Green Energy Limited
Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), a part of India-based Adani Group, has one of the largest global renewable portfolios over 14.8 GW of operating, under-construction and awarded projects catering to investment-grade counterparties. The company develops, builds, owns, operates and maintains utility-scale grid-connected solar and wind farm projects. Key customers of AGEL include the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and various State Discoms. Listed in 2018, AGEL today is a USD 22 billion market cap company helping India meet its COP21 goals. Mercom Capital, the US-based think tank recently ranked Adani Group as the #1 global solar power generation asset owner.
