Amazon India launched two 300 MW (megawatt) hybrid wind and solar power projects in India’s Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka on Nov. 30, which will generate 1,163 gigawatt-hours of clean energy when commissioned, the company said in a statement.
Along with three solar farms in Rajasthan, Amazon now has five utility-scale renewable energy projects in India or about 720 MW of renewable energy capacity. Wind solar hybrids are sites with both wind and solar farms that allow for a more consistent supply of clean energy to the electrical grid.
The projects were launched with Vibrant Energy, a majority-owned subsidiary of Blueleaf Energy, a portfolio company owned by Macquarie’s Green Investment Group (GIG), operating on a stand-alone basis.
“As the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy globally, we continue to build momentum for our renewable energy investments in India. These two new projects represent Amazon’s first hybrid wind and solar projects globally,” Abhinav Singh, Director – Customer Fulfillment, Supply Chain, and Global Specialty Fulfillment, at Amazon India, said in a statement, adding, “We are on track to strengthen our operations.
Globally with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and we have worked with government and industry entities in India to unlock more corporate renewable energy contracts in the country. This year, we have achieved over 720 MW of renewable energy capacity through projects in India.
The new projects follow India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) hybrid policy, which aims to enable more such hybrid projects to make efficient use of transmission infrastructure and land and reduce variability in renewable generation, improving grid stability.
Amazon India has said that it will make its business carbon neutral by 2040, i.e. it will generate power from renewable energy sources to offset the energy consumed from fossil fuel sources. By 2021, Amazon has achieved 85% renewable energy in its business. In Asia, Amazon has now invested in 17 renewable energy projects with a total capacity of more than 1,600 MW in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore.