Reliance Infra to enter RE manufacturing space with solar, battery plants

Reliance Infrastructure (RInfra) is entering into the renewable energy (RE) equipment manufacturing space to increase its business portfolio, industry sources said.

The Reliance Group company has already appointed Ivan Saha as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Renewable Manufacturing, and Mushtaque Hussain as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Battery Manufacturing, they said.

"RInfra is making strategic entry into the renewable energy manufacturing industry," sources said.

The company would set up an integrated solar manufacturing unit with the objective to boost the production of solar panels and components in India, promoting self-sufficiency in clean energy.

Solar manufacturing will be led by Saha, who comes with over 30 years of experience in semiconductors and solar technology and device design. He has served organisations like Vikram Solar and ReNew Power.

Its integrated battery manufacturing unit will focus on developing advanced energy storage solutions for grid applications and electric mobility.

Hussain, who would lead this business, brings over 25 years of expertise in the automotive, renewable energy, consumer electronics, and power tools sectors. He has held key leadership roles in major organisations such as Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and Tesla.

Rlnfra is an infrastructure player that operates in the business of metro rails, toll roads and power distribution. With the company's entry into solar equipment and battery manufacturing business, the Reliance Group aims to cover the entire spectrum of renewable energy value chain, enabling the group to offer end-to-end solutions -- from renewable energy equipment manufacturing to solar power generation.

This move complements the efforts of Reliance Power, focused on renewable energy generation, further strengthening the group's overall presence in the sector.

Reliance Power, another Reliance Group company, had already announced expansion plans in renewable energy generation space. Its subsidiary Reliance NU Energies Private Limited appointed Mayank Bansal as CEO and Rakesh Swaroop as COO  Another Reliance Power subsidiary Reliance Nu Suntech Private Ltd recently secured a 930 Mw solar energy project with a battery energy storage system (BESS) from the Solar Energy Corporation Of India (SECI) through an e-reverse auction.

The project, which is the largest single-location integrated solar power and BESS Project in Asia, includes a minimum storage capacity of 465 MW/1,860 Mwh, charged by solar power.

The company is also developing 1,270 MW of renewable energy projects in Bhutan.