Sembcorp commissions 200 MW wind power project in Bhuj, sees rise in profitability

The Indian arm of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries on Friday said it has commissioned 200 megawatt of wind power project at Bhuj in Gujarat, taking its total generating capacity to 450 MW to become the largest producer of electricity from wind energy in the country.

Sembcorp Energy India Ltd reported an 8 per cent rise in second-quarter net profit to 42 million Singapore dollar.

The company follows January to December financial year.

"We have not been very aggressive in bidding for SECI auctions but focussed on delivering projects that we have undertaken. We have delivered 450 MW of SECI of projects," company's managing director Vipul Tuli said.

The phased commissioning of a combined capacity of 200 MW of wind project at Bhuj in Gujarat is part of the 250 MW and 300 MW capacity, respectively, that Sembcorp won in the SECI 2 and SECI 3 wind bids conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

It had previously commissioned 250 MW of wind project in Tamil Nadu under SECI 1.

In all, the company had won 800 MW of wind power bids, of which it has completed 450 MW.

"Our focus has to deliver the projects on time and we would be completing the rest of the 350 MW projects within 2019," Tuli said, adding the latest commissioning has taken total renewable operating capacity with the company to 1,377 MW.

It also has 2,640 MW of thermal power generation capacity.

Besides, the company also has a self-operating capacity of 600 MW, the largest with any independent power producer.

SEIL reported a turnover of SGD 460 million in the quarter under review amid mounting fiscal stress in the power sector of the country.

Tuli said the rise in profitability as due to a robust performance and generation capacity addition in its renewable energy business.

Both wind farms commissioned at Bhuj are connected to the interstate transmission system and the power generated will be supplied to multiple states, helping them meet their renewable energy requirements.

Under long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) between Sembcorp and Power Trading Corporation (PTC), the energy generated from its SECI 2 project will be supplied to Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha, and power from SECI 3 to Bihar and Punjab.

"Combined with the 250-MW SECI 1 project completed in October 2018, SEIL is now generating more than 450 MW of renewable energy from its three SECI projects," Tuli said.

Sembcorp holds the distinction of being the first to complete a SECI auction wind power project ahead of schedule, and as on date has the largest generating capacity commissioned from SECI wind auctions.