Octopus Energy, Sterlite Power team up to decarbonize Indian industry – EQ Mag Pro
Energy technology pioneer Octopus Energy Group and leading Indian power transmission player Sterlite Power have signed an agreement that aims to help decarbonise Indian industry and bring cheaper green power to consumers around the world.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at COP26, will see the two companies explore several joint retail ventures. It is the first UK-India energy partnership since the Green Grids announcement launched by the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in November 2021.
The tie-up will aim to apply Sterlite Power’s transmission expertise in the UK and bring more competition to the established grid monopoly. In India, Sterlite Power has been an advocate for unleashing market forces in the transmission sector, making the Indian power grid more competitive and cheaper to run. Since doing so, the sector has been able to operate power grids much more efficiently, with cost reductions of up to 40% compared to legacy methods. For further information see the IDTechEx report on Energy Harvesting Microwatt to Gigawatt: Opportunities 2020-2040.
Together, Sterlite Power and Octopus are aiming to build renewable energy generation and storage assets in India and deploy affordable renewable power to large industrial, commercial users. The companies are hoping to also supply this cheap, green power to domestic consumers once the necessary regulations are put in place.
India is now the third largest carbon emitting country in the world, producing over 2.6 billion tons of carbon dioxide a year as its industrial boom continues. The projects that Octopus and Sterlite Power hope to create will help drive down the needs for coal and natural gas, drastically decarbonising the country’s energy demand and using technology to reduce costs for consumers.
The agreement highlights Octopus Energy Group’s worldwide expansion which has seen it move into 13 different countries in just five years, and may soon include the launch of a retail energy business in India.
Octopus Energy Group is the fastest growing UK energy provider, having gained 3.1 million customers since launching in 2016. Its success is based on Kraken, its proprietary energy technology platform, which provides operational efficiency and outstanding customer service whilst driving a greener grid by unlocking smart tariffs. The company recently received a $600 million injection from Generation Investment Management and a further $300 million from Canadian Pension Plan Investments to aid its rapid expansion. Octopus is now valued more than $5 billion, rivalling the valuation of many long-established energy giants.
Sterlite Power is a leading private sector power transmission infrastructure developer and solutions provider operating in India and Brazil. The company has been increasingly focused on integrating renewable energy to the grid.
Greg Jackson, CEO and Founder of Octopus Energy Group, comments: “Through this partnership with Sterlite Power, we will be able to offer greener, cheaper options to consumers in both the UK and India, and even help India with its goals for decarbonisation through relentlessly cutting emissions from large industrials there. The transition to a smart, green energy system has been hampered by unwieldy grid systems that were built to control a few hundred power stations. These systems are not fit to manage millions of electric cars, heat pumps, solar panels and batteries that are all connected to the grid at the same time. What we need is a smart grid that can balance renewable generation with energy demand and drive down the cost. Sterlite Power’s thought-leadership and expertise in this area will bring huge benefits to Britain’s green grid of the future.”
Pratik Agarwal, Managing Director, Sterlite Power said: “We are driven by our core purpose to enable access to reliable power while minimizing the impact on climate change. We are excited to partner with Octopus Energy who is equally driven towards a green energy future. Together, we look forward to exploring a host of opportunities that aim to decarbonise carbon intensive industries, and empower consumers with green energy options towards a sustainable lifestyle.”
About Octopus Energy Group
Octopus Energy Group is a global energy tech pioneer, launched in 2016 to use technology to unlock a customer focused and affordable green energy revolution. It is part of Octopus Group, which is a certified BCorp. With operations in 13 countries, Octopus Energy Group’s mission is going global. Octopus’s domestic energy arm already serves 3.1 million customers with cheaper greener power, through Octopus Energy, M&S Energy, Affect Energy, Ebico, London Power and Co-op Energy. Octopus Electric Vehicles is helping make clean transport cheaper and easier, and Octopus Energy Services is bringing smart products to thousands of homes. Octopus Energy Generation is one of Europe’s largest investors in renewable energy, managing a $4.5 billion portfolio of renewable energy assets throughout the continent. All of these are made possible by Octopus’s tech arm, Kraken Technologies, which offers a proprietary, in-house platform based on advanced data and machine learning capabilities, Kraken automates much of the energy supply chain to allow outstanding service and efficiency as the world transitions to a decentralised, decarbonised energy system. This technology has been licensed to support over 20 million customer accounts worldwide, through deals with EDF Energy, Good Energy, E.ON energy and Origin Energy. In December 2021, Octopus Energy Group was valued at approximately $5 billion following a $600 million investment from Generation Investment Management and a $300 million investment from Canada Pensions Plan Investments Board. Both investors back businesses that drive sustainability, promote green energy and tackle climate change. It was the company’s third major investment round since launching to the market.
About Sterlite Power
Sterlite Power Transition Limited (“Sterlite Power”) is a leading power transmission infrastructure developer and solutions provider with projects covering approximately 13,700 circuit kms of transmission lines across India and Brazil. The company has a portfolio of high performance power conductors, EHV cables and OPGW. The company provides bespoke solutions for the upgrade, uprate and fiberzation of existing transmission infrastructure projects. It is the sponsor of IndiGrid, India’s first power sector Infrastructure Investment Trust (“InvIT”), listed on the BSE and NSE. The company was awarded the ‘Process Innovation of the Year’ award at The Economic Times Innovation Awards 2020 and is a recipient of awards from International Project Management Association (IPMA).
Source : PTI
