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Lightsource BP delivers first solar project in India

Release date:
18 July 2018
Lightsource BP delivers first solar project in India
The solar development in Wagdari, Maharashtra

The 60 mega watts peak (MWp)  solar site in Wagdari, Maharashtra, marks a significant milestone for Lightsource BP as it is the company’s first utility solar asset to be commissioned in the country.

 

The project is financed in partnership with UK Climate Investments (UKCI), a joint venture that includes the UK Government’s Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and is the first of a number of tenders that Lightsource BP is progressing with the Solar Energy Corporation India.

 

The project includes some 200,000 solar photovoltaic panels across a 240 acre site and will provide clean electricity for around 20,000 homes in the region and forms part of Lightsource BP’s strategy to deploy more than 8 gigawatt (GW) of solar capacity globally in the next five years.

David Windle
We aim to increase our low carbon investments 10-fold by 2030 and eight-fold by 2025. And we have stated quite clearly that we will not be exploring in new countries as we reduce our global hydrocarbons production by 40% over the next 10 years. That still means we will be producing 1.5 million barrels a day globally in 2030.David Windle,head of solar energy, BP

 

The announcement comes nearly two month after it was announced that Lightsource BP had entered into a joint-venture to manage green infrastructure funds throughout India. The Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF) aims to bring up to $1 billion dollars of investment into India through contracted power, distribution infrastructure and energy services.

 

Lightsource was formed in 2010, and in December 2017 rebranded to Lightsource BP when BP acquired a 43% share of the UK-based solar developer. One strand of BP's work to advance the energy transition is to create low-carbon businesses as well as reduce emissions in its operations and deliver improved products.

 

I am delighted that UK Climate Investments is working alongside London-based Lightsource BP to leverage the UK’s expertise in solar and support India’s ambitions for renewable energy. The UK has a track record of exporting our home-grown expertise to the rest of the world and this partnership is the perfect example of the public and private sectors working together to deliver our respective climate, development and growth objectives that will benefit the entire planet.Claire Perry,UK energy and clean growth minister

 

 

 

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