Power Sector News Roundup for July 29, 2026

Gurdeep Singh gets six-month extension as NTPC CMD from August 1

The Ministry of Power has extended Shri Gurdeep Singh’s tenure as Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of NTPC Limited for six months from August 1, 2026. His current tenure was scheduled to end on July 31, 2026. The extension, approved by the President of India, will remain effective for six months, until a regular incumbent assumes charge, or until further orders, whichever is earliest.

Hindalco submits proposal to NPCIL for 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors

Hindalco Industries has submitted a formal proposal to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to set up 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors under a captive model. Tata Power, Reliance Industries, Jindal Steel, JSW Energy and Adani Power had earlier expressed interest and completed preliminary formalities, but Hindalco is the only company to have submitted a formal proposal. Hindalco will provide land and cooling water, fund the entire capital investment, and bear operating, fuel, waste management and decommissioning costs, while NPCIL will handle reactor design, quality assurance, construction supervision, and operation and maintenance. Hindalco will receive the entire electricity output for captive consumption and pay NPCIL an expertise fee linked to electricity generation.

Suzlon Q1 net profit falls 6% to Rs 305 crore; revenue rises 22.5%

Suzlon Energy Limited reported consolidated net profit of Rs 305 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, down 6% from Rs 324 crore a year earlier, while revenue from operations rose 22.5% to Rs 3,819 crore. Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation (EBITDA) stood at Rs 595 crore, with the EBITDA margin declining to 15.6% from 19.2% in Q1 FY26. First-quarter deliveries reached a record 506 MW, up 14%, while commissioning volumes more than doubled to 269 MW. The company added approximately 1 GW of orders during the quarter, taking its cumulative order book to approximately 6.1 GW.

Hisun Green commissions 220 kV transmission line for JSW in Maharashtra

Hisun Green Power Private Limited has commissioned the Harali 220 kV Double Circuit Transmission Line Project for JSW in Maharashtra. The project comprises an 18.904 km, 220 kV double circuit transmission line supporting power evacuation from a 300 MW renewable energy project. The commissioned line will strengthen the associated transmission infrastructure and facilitate renewable power evacuation in Maharashtra.

Shyam Sel and Power commissions 8.9 MWp solar project in West Bengal

Shyam Sel and Power Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Shyam Metals and Energy Limited, has commissioned an 8.90 MWp captive solar power project at its manufacturing plant in Jamuria, West Bengal. Of the total capacity, 4.60 MWp has been developed under the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) model and 4.30 MWp under the Operating Expenditure (OPEX) model. The project is intended to reduce operational power costs and increase renewable energy use in the company’s manufacturing operations.

India has nearly 47 GW BESS capacity under development, Parliament told

India has nearly 47 GW of Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) capacity at various stages of development, Minister of State for Power Shripad Yesso Naik told the Rajya Sabha. As of June 30, 2026, nearly 16 GW was under construction, around 12 GW had been awarded and another 19 GW was at the tendering stage. Separately, 16 GW of pumped storage projects are under construction and another 7 GW have received concurrence and are awaiting construction. The National Electricity Plan (Generation) projects a requirement of 47 GW of battery energy storage capacity and 27 GW of pumped storage capacity by 2031-32, requiring around Rs 4.8 lakh crore of investment.

AMPIN Solar ONE rolls out first solar cell from 1.3 GW Odisha plant

AMPIN Solar ONE, the joint venture between AMPIN Energy Transition and Jupiter International Limited, has commenced commercial solar cell manufacturing at its integrated facility in Bhubaneswar. The facility is Odisha’s first solar cell manufacturing unit and was established under the Government of India’s Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules. The integrated plant has annual manufacturing capacity of 1.3 GW of solar cells and 1.9 GW of solar modules. It is expected to supply cells and modules for captive requirements and third-party developers across India.

NCT’s new scheme to act as “shock absorber” for northern grid

The National Committee on Transmission (NCT) has approved a Rs 4,378 crore scheme to strengthen voltage stability and short-circuit strength across the Northern Region. The project will deploy Static Synchronous Compensators (STATCOMs) at Aligarh (PG), Wagoora (PG), Amargarh (Indigrid), Jhatikara (PG) and Mandola (PG), along with bus reactors at Agra, Patran and Orai substations. The scheme follows concerns raised by Grid Controller of India Limited (GRID-INDIA) over declining Short Circuit Ratios (SCR) at major renewable energy pooling stations. It will be implemented through the Tariff-Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) route, with PFC Consulting Limited (PFCCL) as Bid Process Coordinator and an implementation period of 24 months.

PFCCL incorporates SPV for 5×500 MVA Benachigere transmission project

PFC Consulting Limited (PFCCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC), has incorporated a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for a transmission project in Karnataka. The scheme involves establishing a 5×500 MVA, 400/220 kV substation at Benachigere in Tumkur District along with associated transmission lines. The SPV will be transferred to the successful bidder after completion of the bidding process. GIS Data Solutions was earlier declared the successful bidder for the technical consultancy assignment.

L&T Q1 PAT rises 14% to Rs 4,123 crore; order book reaches Rs 778,954 crore

Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) reported consolidated Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 4,123 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, up 14% year-on-year, while revenues increased 7% to Rs 67,942 crore. The Group secured orders worth Rs 108,014 crore, taking its consolidated order book to Rs 778,954 crore as of June 30, 2026. The Energy – Green segment secured Rs 33,042 crore of orders, up 58%, while Energy – Conventional order inflows fell 90% to Rs 3,053 crore. The Board also approved a Scheme of Amalgamation to merge wholly-owned subsidiary L&T Power Development Limited with L&T, subject to necessary approvals.

Ampere partners Muthoot Capital to expand EV financing across India

Ampere, the electric two-wheeler brand of Greaves Electric Mobility Limited (GEML), has partnered with Muthoot Capital Services Ltd. to provide retail financing for its complete range of electric two-wheelers across India. The arrangement will combine GEML’s electric two-wheeler portfolio with Muthoot Capital’s retail financing network and target salaried professionals, self-employed individuals, gig workers and small business owners. The companies expect the partnership to expand access to electric mobility through more than 500 touchpoints across India. Customers will have access to financing solutions and flexible repayment options structured for different income profiles and mobility requirements.

Pace Digitek signs EPC contract with NLC for 250 MW/500 MWh BESS in Tamil Nadu

Pace Digitek Limited has signed an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with NLC for a 250 MW/500 MWh standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) across three locations in Tamil Nadu, along with 12 years of Operations and Maintenance (O&M). Its subsidiary, Lineage Power Private Limited (LPPL), has also produced 300 utility-scale BESS containers representing approximately 1.5 GWh of battery energy storage capacity. Pace Digitek is augmenting its existing 2.5 GWh BESS manufacturing capacity with an additional 2.5 GWh expansion. Separately, it is establishing another 5 GWh BESS manufacturing facility and an in-house container fabrication facility.

Vikran Engineering commissions 132 kV Miao–Namsai transmission line in Arunachal Pradesh

Vikran Engineering has commissioned the 132 kV Miao–Namsai Transmission Line in Arunachal Pradesh, completing 40.630 km of transmission infrastructure. The project comprises 138 tower foundations, including two pile foundations constructed under difficult geological conditions. The line is expected to strengthen power supply reliability, connect remote areas to the National Grid and support evacuation and integration of upcoming hydropower projects across the North Eastern Region (NER). Execution was closely monitored by the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

NPCIL, IIT Bombay partner on soil improvement technique for GHAVP 3 & 4

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for technical development and trials of the Deep Soil Mixing (DSM) technique for Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) Units 3 & 4. The units are planned as twin 700 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), and the MoU was signed on July 8, 2026, at IIT Bombay in Powai, Mumbai. The collaboration will assess the feasibility and efficacy of DSM for ground improvement at the GHAVP site. Its application at GHAVP would be the first use of the technique for a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in India.

Coal quality issues leave 1,700 MW unavailable at MAHAGENCO plants

Maharashtra faced power shortages in June 2026 that resulted in load shedding on 11 days, with poor coal quality contributing to partial outages of more than 1,700 MW at Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited (MAHAGENCO) stations. The maximum partial outage at an individual plant occurred at Chandrapur, where unavailable capacity peaked at approximately 700 MW. Load shedding reached 1,850 MW during the evening peak between 20:00 and 21:00 hrs on June 27, 2026, while cumulative load-shedding energy between June 25 and 28 was approximately 13.039 MU. Low reservoir levels at Koyna Hydro Power Station and outages at JSW, RIPL and Koradi units added nearly 2,000 MW of unavailable capacity.

ADB approves $850 million loan to support India’s rooftop solar rollout

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved an $850 million loan to support reforms aimed at accelerating residential rooftop solar deployment under the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The government scheme targets rooftop solar installations for 10 million low- and middle-income households and 30 GW of residential solar capacity by fiscal year 2027. Under subprogram 2, financial assistance will support at least 3.5 million rooftop solar installations, while the program will also strengthen digital systems, distribution company participation, domestic manufacturing, energy storage and recycling. ADB expects the program to contribute to India’s target of 30 GW of cumulative rooftop solar capacity and reduce carbon dioxide equivalent emissions by 28.8 million tons.

Jupiter International begins work on solar ingot-wafer plant in Nagpur

Jupiter International has started work on a Rs 3,000 crore solar ingot and wafer manufacturing facility in Nagpur, Maharashtra, with annual production capacity of 3 GW. The facility is scheduled to become operational in phases over the next 20 months and will expand the company’s manufacturing presence beyond Himachal Pradesh and Odisha. Jupiter International currently operates five solar manufacturing units across the two states with combined capacity of 4.5 GW. The company is also targeting turnover of Rs 3,200 crore in the current fiscal year and plans to launch an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in early 2027.