Amazon is collaborating with Vibrant Energy for its first wind-solar hybrid projects in India. Two projects representing a total of 300 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity will come up in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka in what’s seen as one of the largest wind-solar hybrid corporate power purchase agreements by a technology company in India. Once operational, these projects are expected to generate 1,163,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean energy, which is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power 380,000 average-sized households in New Delhi each year. Combined with three solar farms in Rajasthan, Amazon now has five utility-scale renewable energy projects in India, representing more than 720MW of renewable energy capacity.
The largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally
“As the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy globally, we continue to build momentum for our renewable energy investments in India. The two new projects represent Amazon's first wind-solar hybrid projects globally,” said Abhinav Singh, Director – Customer Fulfilment, Supply Chain and Global Specialty Fulfilment, Amazon India. “We are on a path to powering our operations globally with 100% renewable energy by 2025 and have worked with government and industry stakeholders in India to unlock more corporate renewable energy procurement in the country. This year, we have reached over 720MW of renewable energy capacity through utility-scale projects in India.”
Maximising clean energy use on the grid
According to McKinsey & Company, renewable hybrid energy systems can play a key role in helping India accelerate the decarbonisation of power generation and lower the cost of electricity in the medium term. These maximise clean energy use on the grid by combining two technologies with different generation profiles. The new Amazon projects support India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy's (MNRE) wind-solar hybrid policy, which aims to enable more such hybrid projects to efficiently utilise transmission infrastructure and land, and reduce variability in renewable generation, which improves grid stability.
Encouraging India Inc’s adoption of renewable energy
“This collaboration between Vibrant and Amazon will encourage the adoption of renewable energy by corporates in India. We expect India to be one of the earliest markets in the world to deliver renewable energy through similar hybrid projects. We are honored to collaborate with Amazon on its path to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025,” said Srinivasan Viswanathan, CEO, Vibrant Energy, a subsidiary of portfolio company of Macquarie's Green Investment Group.
100% renewable energy globally by 2025
Amazon is committed to reaching net-zero carbon across its business by 2040 and is on a path to powering its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025. Amazon is the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy with over 380 projects across 22 countries around the world. Once operational, these projects will have the capacity to generate over 50,000 gigawatt hours (GWh) of clean energy annually and supply renewable energy for a variety of Amazon facilities, including corporate offices, fulfillment centers, data centers, and physical stores, which collectively serve millions of customers globally. As on 2021-end, Amazon reached 85% renewable energy across its business. In Asia, Amazon has now invested in 17 utility-scale renewable energy projects with a total capacity of more than 1,600 MW across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Singapore.
