Tata Power venture TPRMG's 200 microgrids expected to be ready by 2021

TP Renewable Microgrid (TPRMG), a Tata Power venture, is expected to complete 200 microgrid installation work and make it ready for use by next year, the Rockefeller Foundation said — a partner in the clean energy project.

Tata Power had announced in November 2019 that it would build an arm, TPRMG, to set up 10,000 microgrids to supply power to 5 million homes across India.

The Rockefeller Foundation, a US-based philanthropic organisation that partnered with Tata Power for this initiative, said it is using experience, expertise and demonstrated success to date in India to help lead the creation of large-scale, transformative partnerships.

Such alliances and tie-ups, it said, break down the silos between conventional utilities and innovative emerging technologies, unleashing a new wave of last-mile electrification that combines grid and off-grid, fosters public-private alliances and promotes clean, renewable and sustainable energy solutions.

Mr Ashvin Dayal, Senior Vice President, Power Initiative, The Rockefeller Foundation, stated PTI in an email response to a query, “Since the launch of TPRMG last November, the first microgrids are up and running with customers connected and additional construction is underway across Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. The TPRMG team is working hard, we expect to have the first 200 sites ready in 2021,”

He added that the outbreak of COVID-19 has impacted the speed at which the project was being implemented in India. India is home to one of the world's largest "un-electrified and under-electrified" populations, where communities still use non-grid sources such as diesel generators to power more than 40 percent of rural enterprises, especially in states such as Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Off-grid solutions will help India rapidly meet the urgent energy needs of communities, and they are also inexpensive. Indian off-grid power solutions market is nice, he said. In a report, the Energy, Climate and Water Council (CEEW) noted that there is a business potential in India for distributed renewables and clean energy technologies more than USD 50 billion.

Dayal stated the Rockefeller Foundation has been operating in the region in India for quite some time. Smart Power India (SPI) was launched in 2015 by the Rockefeller Foundation, which funded the establishment of 300 mini grids operated by a diverse collection of private companies, benefiting more than 2.5 lakh customers.

"Last year's partnership with Tata Power, which set up what will become the world's largest mini-grid company, reached 10,000 villages and served over 25 million people," he added.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.