The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has approved a grant supporting the technical design and project planning work for IL&FS Energy Development Company Limited’s (IEDCL) 41 MW hybrid wind, solar and energy storage power plant in Andhra Pradesh.
The technical assistance will advance pre-implementation and pre-construction activities for the plant, which is expected to lead to a 1,040 MW installation, according to a statement issued by the USTDA.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on July 30 by Thomas Hardy, USTDA Director, Congressional and Public Affairs, and Keshav Prasad, Chief Operating Officer, IECDL, during the Indo-Pacific Business Forum hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, D.C.
IEDCL has selected Black & Veatch, a U.S.-based engineering firm, to carry out the technical assistance for the project.
“Grid modernization through hybrid projects like this one will help promote sustainable economic growth in India, and support the government’s goal of reaching 175 GW of capacity from renewable sources by 2022,” said Jason Abiecunas, Black & Veatch’s Director of Distributed Energy Resources. He added, “Hybrid solutions, by optimizing output and reducing variability, will also improve the bankability of renewable energy projects.”
No further project details were disclosed, and IEDCL could not be reached for comment.
The project follows on from previous USTDA-support for projects, which assessed the technical, financial and commercial viability of wind, solar, and energy storage hybrid power projects in the Indian states of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
India represents USTDA’s largest portfolio in South and Southeast Asia. For over three decades, the Virginia-based Agency has supported India’s efforts to develop and modernize infrastructure.
Last year, it signed an MoU with the Airports Authority of India to support a 20-year master plan aimed at the expansion of operational capacities of the Kolkata and Lucknow international airports.
