Kolkata: Tata Power, a vertically integrated power company and part of Tata Group, is planning to invest Rs 2,500 crore in a ground-mounted solar project, with a total capacity of up to 500MW, in Bengal. This will be the biggest power project from the Tata Group firm in the state, which has, so far, invested in rooftop solar in the state.Praveer Sinha, CEO and MD of Tata Power, said on Thursday they have approached state govt for land for the project, which may materialise by 2027 Dussehra. “Talks are going on regarding the project and we have been given three or four locations,” he said.Sinha added that since it was difficult to come by a large swath of land at one place required for a solar power project, “we may set up plants at multiple locations in the state”.A company official said they were looking for land in Haldia, Bankura and Durgapur, having both domestic and industrial demand for power, along with north Bengal because the use of renewable energy had started in tea gardens.In the past one year, the integrated solar player has installed around 6,000 solar rooftops in Bengal, with total installations standing at around 22,000.“The penetration of solar power is less in Bengal compared to Gujarat, Assam and Odisha. Our target is to facilitate rooftop solar adoption across 3 lakh homes in the state over the next three years. To expand the adoption of rooftop solar, state govt also needs to offer incentives in addition to those provided by Centre,” Sinha said.Tata Power’s rooftop solar solutions range from 1kW to 10kW, catering to diverse household energy requirements and helping consumers lower electricity expenses, the CEO said, adding that its turnover will go up to Rs 4,800 crore in the 2026-27 fiscal from Rs 2,300 crore in 2025-26 fiscal.According to Sanjay Banga, CEO and MD of Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd, a subsidiary of Tata Power, the company’s target for the current fiscal was to generate a total of 3GW power for industrial and utility use nationwide along with 2GW of rooftop solar capacity.“We expect that more data centres and industries will come up in Bengal and this will require land and power connectivity infrastructure,” said Banga. As for the ground-mounted project, he said: “If govt sets up a solar park, we can set up our unit for operations there.”Banga clarified that the capital expenditure plans of Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd will not be impacted amid the leadership and governance differences between Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, saying that its investment programme of around Rs 28,000 crore till FY 28 would continue as planned.
