Que: Kindly tell Energetica India readers in brief about Alfanar and its plans for the renewable energy market.

Ans: We are driven by the desire to provide advanced and innovative solutions to cater to the growing local and international demand in various sectors, especially in the field of renewable power. Excellence is a standard we hold ourselves to across all our specialized global facilities and projects. We engage primarily in project development, EPC, O&M and field services, and manufacturing. As the value creators and developers of sustainable projects, Alfanar is at the forefront of critical Power, Water, Education and Healthcare infrastructure projects, where we aim to deliver an unmatched ‘Quality of Life’ to our partners and the community.

Our turnkey EPC solutions are shaped by our formidable experience with EHV substations, OHTL, UG cables, smart grids & Smart Metering and have secured the approval of major local and international utilities. When it comes to O&M and field services, Alfanar has a diverse offering of comprehensive maintenance and operational services led by a team of highly trained professionals. All of this is supported by our electrical products manufacturing division which is located at the region’s largest private industrial city: Alfanar Industrial City in Saudi Arabia. Through strategic acquisitions, we have, further, strengthened our products portfolio with facilities in UK, Italy, Turkey, Spain, Germany, and India that develop and manufacture innovative products according to international quality and safety standards.

This multifaceted offering is the secret behind many of our major achievements, such as the Smart Meter Project in Saudi Arabia. In 2021, Alfanar contributed to the achievement of the largest digital transformation endeavor outside of China and the Kingdom’s first step towards a smart future. The combined effort of separate divisions and arms resulted in a delivery that exceeded quality expectations threefold. Delivered on time despite the pandemic, it is one of many examples of our unwavering commitment to excellence.

When it comes to renewable energy projects, we have a 1.7 GW portfolio of project development and EPC across Saudi Arabia, the UK, India, Spain, and Egypt and close to 3.5GW in greenfield development. Our goal is to expand and double our portfolio by 2025 through harnessing our diverse experience in dynamic new projects.

Que: Alfanar has recently commissioned its first wind energy project in India. How has been your experience so far? Do you face any challenges?

Ans: Every major project comes with its own unique set of challenges, but our policy is to always ‘adapt and achieve’ irrespective of this. I am very proud of our team for bringing the vision of the company to life and honoring our growing international reputation for excellence.

The 300 MW wind project in Bhuj (SECI Tranche-III), was successfully commissioned two months ahead of the scheduled commercial operation date (SCOD) even amid a global pandemic.

The health and safety of our manpower and contractors are of paramount importance, and there were times during the COVID-19 pandemic that we had to halt construction for a long period of time. Here, I would personally like to express appreciation for the invaluable support of the local and central Indian government and nodal agencies like SECI, PGCIL, and MNRE, who have significantly eased the development and operation of the project. We went through a learning curve during this project, and thanks to the dedicated and integrated efforts of all its stakeholders, it has become one of Alfanar’s proudest achievements.

We plan to continue proving our standing as a new but formidable player in the Indian market by delivering a quality of life through our involvement in projects like SECI Tranche-III, which integrate sustainability with economic development, create jobs, and enable decarbonization in line with India’s commitment at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

Que: Which renewable energy projects are Alfanar working on in India, currently, and what are its future plans for the Indian market?

Ans: We have secured financial closure for our second 300 MW wind project under SECI Tranche (V), which began construction in March 2021 and is expected to be complete by April 2022. As a new key player in India’s renewable energy market, we currently have over 3 GW greenfield development in the pipeline and under the process of approval by the state and central nodal agencies.

Our strategy is to build a portfolio that is a mix of solar, wind, and hybrid projects planned across India and contributing holistically to the renewable energy mission and target of the country.

We also envisage entering the smart grid, T&D, and e-mobility space in India as these are niche markets with synergetic opportunities. To facilitate this, we plan to leverage our successful global experiences of rolling out mega projects which includes some of the largest smart meter and T&D projects in the Middle East.

Que: Are you planning to sell some of your wind assets portfolio in India, as reported in the media? Kindly shed some light on it.

Ans: As a part of our IPP business and our group strategy, we occasionally review all options to raise external capital, including strategic investments. But, there is absolutely no plan to exit from the business. India’s renewable energy market is the fourth largest market in the world with respect to global cumulative wind installations and the second-largest wind manufacturing hub. Our strategy is to both maintain our existing position in the market and emerge as a prominent and sustainable player that contributes to the nation’s growth.

Que: What is your outlook on the wind energy market for 2021?

Ans: The energy transition is accelerating across the globe as nations capitalize on their dual priorities of mitigating climate change and promoting sustainable development. The current wind energy market outlook is aligned with the long-term vision and renewable energy targets of India, which plans to increase renewable energy capacity to 450 GW by 2030. Today, wind energy is also one of the most price-competitive power sources on the Indian grid (on par with solar), with prices below conventional fossil fuels. All of this is an additional incentive for us to continue collaborating with the public sector to further our contributions to the Indian renewable energy field.