Reliance to invest Rs 100bn in Asia’s largest solar project

Reliance NU Suntech, a subsidiary of Reliance Power, plans to invest Rs 100 billion ($1.16 billion) in a solar power plant with a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh. 

The project, set to be Asia’s largest solar and BESS initiative, will include a 930 MW solar energy facility and a 465 MW/1,860 megawatt-hours BESS, ensuring peak power supply for four hours daily.

The project is part of a larger 2,000 MW bid for Inter State Transmission System-connected solar projects, with Reliance NU Suntech securing the largest individual allocation of 930 MW through a competitive e-reverse auction. 

The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) will sign a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the company, supplying solar power to distribution companies nationwide.

The project will be commissioned within 24 months of the PPA signing and is expected to generate 1,000 direct and 5,000 indirect jobs during construction.