Mumbai: Madrid-based developer of large-scale solar power plants, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), is in talks to sell its 100-MW power project in India in a deal worth Rs 500-600 crore, according to two people aware of the development.
FRV is talking with various investors such as Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), green infra JV between PE fund Everstone Group & UK-based Lightsource BP’s Eversource Capital and Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus Fund, said one of the persons cited above.
FRV was awarded a 100 MW power purchase agreement (PPA) by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) under the National Solar Mission programme in 2016. The project, which is FRV’s first in India, is in Ananthapuramu Solar Park in Andhra Pradesh.
FRV, which was acquired by the Saudi Arabia-headquartered Abdul Latif Jameel Group in April 2015, has sold out several businesses worldwide. Its US business had been sold off earlier to SunEdison. In June last year, FRV sold its 100 MW solar plant in Australia to a consortium of Lighthouse Infrastructure and DIF, while a 65 MW solar plant in Uruguay was sold in March. Mails sent to spokespersons at FRV, Eversource, Edelweiss and Macquarie did not elicit any responses till press time.
In April, PE firm Everstone Group joined hands with Lightsource BP, the UK based leader in renewable energy development, to form a JV platform— Eversource Capital to fund the green energy businesses in India.
The platform launched Green Growth Equity Fund (GGEF), with a target of $700 million where the UK government and the India’s National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) will be co-anchors with a commitment of $160 million each. Eversource has recently hired Satish Mandhana, former managing partner & CIO of IDFC Alternatives, as chief investment officer.
Another contender, Edelweiss Infrastructure Yield Plus Fund, is a newly set up infrastructure focused fund by Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors. The fund raised Rs 2,000 crore last month and plans to raise $1 billion in total.
Australia’s Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) has been an active investor in Indian energy sector and invested in Adhunik Power & Natural Resources, Soham Renewable Energy India and Ind-Barath Energy Utkal. “Global renewable investors require scale and will shuffle their portfolio to exit markets that find hard to grow in. That’s why the industry witness many such exits, especially as buyers look for assets with good tariffs for the same growth reasons,” said Kameswara Rao, leader, energy, utilities and mining, PwC India.
Like FRV, several foreign entities are in the process of exiting their solar businesses in India.
Last week, Finnish clean energy firm Fortum sold 54% in solar business in India to Macquarie-owned UK Climate Investments, along with asset management firm Elite Alfred Berg, for about $176 million. American firm First Solar, Inc. sold its 190 MW India solar power project to Vector Green Energy, the renewable energy platform of IDFC Alternatives for $300 million last year.
Source: economictimes.indiatimes
