Indian engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm Hartek Power Private has won an order from state-owned renewable developer SJVN Green Energy to build a 75MW solar PV plant in the eastern Indian state of Bihar.
The company, a subsidiary of the Hartek Group, will handle equipment procurement, land development and machinery testing at the project, for which SJVN first offered tenders in August 2023. SJVN noted that, after the EPC contract was awarded, the winning bidder would have 325 days to complete construction, so the Hartek project will be brought online at the end of this year, or early next year.
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As part of the initial bid offering, SJVN also noted that the EPC provider would have to offer maintenance and operation services for three years following the completion of construction. Hartek also plans to build a 132kV sub-station at the project, valued at around US$13.6 million (INR1.13 billion).
“We are honoured to have been entrusted with this substantial project by SJVN Green Energy,” said Hartek Power CEO Sanjeev Gupta. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to driving end-to-end sustainable energy solutions and contributing to the green energy transition in India.
“We are confident that our expertise and dedication will ensure the successful implementation and seamless operation of the 75MW solar project in Jamui.”
The deal is Hartek’s latest project in India, adding to its 7GW portfolio of grid-connected projects in the state. The firm has also installed 100MW of rooftop solar projects across India, which is particularly notable as interest shifts to India’s rooftop solar potential. Last year, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water released a report that India has the capacity for 637GW of solar capacity on residential rooftops alone, and investing in a range of solar sectors will be essential as India looks to alter its energy mix.
India’s 14th National Electricity Plan, published last year, looks to increase the country’s installed solar capacity from 66.7GW in the 2023 financial year to 185.6GW in the 2027 financial year, and 364.6GW in the 2032 financial year, a transition that will see India’s solar installations almost sextuple in close to a decade.
However, think tank Ember noted that such a project would require around US$239 billion in investment, and while the Hartek project in Bihar is an encouraging development, the state will require significant investment into its solar sector. Earlier this week, Avaada Energy acquired tenders to build 1.4GW of new solar capacity in India, as the government looks to ramp up its solar deployments to meet these targets.