Energy importer India will soon export clean energy, says ACME chief

ACME Group says Odisha will become India's gateway for green ammonia exports to Japan, marking the country's transition from energy importer to clean energy exporter

Once known as an energy-importing nation, India will soon become an exporter of clean energy, with Odisha set to emerge as the country's gateway for green ammonia exports to Japan, Manoj Upadhyay, founder and chairman of ACME Group, said here on Friday.

 

Upadhyay said the proposed green ammonia project at Gopalpur marks a historic shift in India's energy landscape. "Nobody thinks India can export energy. We have always been an energy importer. Now we will be exporting energy, and that energy export will happen from Odisha," he said.

 

Recalling ACME's journey in renewable energy, Upadhyay said the company entered the solar power sector in 2009, at a time when very few companies were willing to invest in renewables. He said the first major breakthrough came when then Gujarat Chief Minister and now Prime Minister Narendra Modi supported ACME's solar project despite the tariff of ₹15 per unit, which was considered prohibitively expensive at the time.

   

"Our first solar project came up in 2011. Today, we have grown into one of India's largest renewable energy companies," he said, adding that the company has evolved from generating solar power to providing round-the-clock renewable electricity through integrated solar and battery energy storage systems.

 

ACME has installed nearly four gigawatt-hours of battery energy storage capacity this year, helping maintain grid stability during periods of peak electricity demand. The battery-backed renewable power has played a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted power supply during the summer months.

 

Upadhyay said the sharp fall in renewable power costs encouraged the company to diversify into green hydrogen and green ammonia. ACME subsequently established its first green hydrogen and green ammonia pilot plant in Bikaner, Rajasthan, among the world's earliest operational facilities in the segment. Building on that experience, the company is now focusing on large-scale commercial projects in Odisha and Karnataka.

 

Explaining the choice of Odisha for the proposed green ammonia project, Upadhyay said geographical proximity to Japan played a decisive role. "Initially, we thought Australia would be the preferred location because of its closeness to Japan. But strategically, Odisha is even better. Products manufactured near Odisha's ports can reach Japan much faster," he added.