Renewables
Acme solar secures transmission agreement for peak power project
Acme Solar has finalized a major power procurement deal in India for a combined solar and storage installation.
Key points
- Acme Solar signed an agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India for 300 MW of capacity.
- The arrangement involves 1,200 MWh of storage to deliver assured peak power during non-solar hours.
- The agreed tariff stands at $0.063 per kilowatt-hour under a firm and dispatchable renewable energy tender.
What happened
According to pv magazine, Indian renewable energy developer Acme Solar has formalized a power supply arrangement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India. The agreement covers a 300 megawatt capacity backed by 1,200 megawatt-hours of storage. The subsidiary responsible for the transaction, Acme Greentech Twenty Pvt Ltd, secured the volume through a specific firm and dispatchable renewable energy auction tranche initiated earlier in the year.
The resulting tariff is set at INR 6, equivalent to $0.063 per kilowatt-hour. Under the terms of the accord, the facility must deliver four megawatt-hours for every megawatt of contracted capacity across a four-hour window daily when solar generation is unavailable. Furthermore, the installation is required to maintain a monthly availability rate of at least ninety percent. Integrating photovoltaic arrays with battery storage allows the enterprise to meet these strict delivery criteria while utilizing pre-existing grid connectivity.
Following this latest contractual milestone, the developer's portfolio of under-construction projects tied to formal agreements reaches 4,310 megawatts out of a total 5,380 megawatts under construction. Overall, the firm oversees a diversified operational and development portfolio spanning 8,370 megawatts across various clean energy technologies, alongside substantial battery storage capacity.
Why it matters
For energy investors and policymakers across developing markets, this agreement illustrates how utility-scale storage is increasingly integrated to resolve intermittency challenges in solar generation. As nations expand their clean energy infrastructure, dispatchable renewable frameworks provide a reliable blueprint for maintaining grid stability without relying exclusively on fossil-fuel peaking plants. While India achieves high electricity access rates, balancing intermittent output with guaranteed supply remains a central operational focus for grid operators globally. African nations seeking to scale up solar generation alongside storage solutions can draw valuable lessons from these structured procurement frameworks as they design their own independent power producer agreements and regulatory mechanisms.
Original reporting
This article draws on the following reports. Read them in full on the publishers’ sites.
Context from CEII
Renewables are the fastest-growing part of the world’s energy system. The COP28 goal is to triple capacity by 2030, and solar mini-grids are the fastest route to power for millions of people without electricity.
19.1% of electricity in India was renewable in 2021Countries in this story
Written by the CEII Desk, the Centre’s automated newsroom, from the reporting credited above and CEII’s own data. Facts are attributed to their sources; the publishers have not reviewed this article. Spotted an error? Tell our editors.
