Solar park by IBC SOLAR supplies Indian tea plantation

Bad Staffelstein, March 20, 2018 – IBC SOLAR, a global leader in photovoltaic systems and energy storage, has completed its seventh major project on the Indian subcontinent. The project is part of India’s open access policy, which offers private investors an incentive to invest in the power generation sector. Along with the three megawatt (MW) project in Tamil Nadu, IBC SOLAR also built a large-scale PV plant in southern India for the first time.

“This is an extremely interesting project,” explains Shailendra Bebortha, Managing Director of IBC SOLAR in India, “as it combines a number of unusual aspects.” The project had several firsts for the company. While IBC SOLAR previously focused on the northern states of Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Odisha, this project is the first plant the company has built in southern India.

The climatic conditions in Tamil Nadu also differ significantly from the previous locations. Instead of having to get used to immense heat and sandy soils, the installation team had to deal with an extended Monsoon season. Shailendra Bebortha is proud that the project was completed within the set time frame and in the high quality that IBC SOLAR always guarantees its customers.

The solar park was built near the city of Madurai for “The Peria Karamalai Tea & Produce Co. Ltd.,” which is reducing its CO2 emissions with this solar plant and therefore reinforcing its commitment to renewable energies. The NSE listed company is part of LN Bangur Group, which has already collaborated with IBC SOLAR previously on numerous major solar projects. Shreeyash Bangur, Managing Director of LN Bangur Group, stated: “This project is of paramount importance to us, as we have replaced our 20-year-old wind power plant. Our tea will now be produced with 100 percent solar power.”

The project is part of India’s open access policy. The Electricity Act of 2003 stipulates that any company or individual who has built a power generation plant has the right of free access to the power lines in order to transport the electricity from the plant to the point of use. The 3-MW plant for the tea plantation is the first project that IBC SOLAR has built within this legal framework. The Indian company LNB Renewable Energy was in charge of the entire project development, the approvals and the connection to the grid, while IBC SOLAR was responsible for the EPC, including the turnkey construction.