Que: What differentiates successful project execution from merely completing projects on schedule?

Ans: As utility scale renewable projects become larger and more sophisticated, successful execution can no longer be measured only by whether a project is commissioned on schedule. Timely delivery remains important, but true execution excellence is defined by how well an asset performs across its lifecycle: its ability to deliver reliable, efficient and predictable clean energy over the next two to three decades.

A strong example is ENGIE’s Electro Solaire project at Raghnesda in Gujarat. The 200 MW solar power plant was commissioned in just 18 months during the COVID 19 pandemic, with a zero-infection record across the project. Delivering a utility scale renewable asset under such challenging circumstances required strong planning, supply chain resilience, close stakeholder coordination and an uncompromising focus on health and safety. The project was also recently recognised with the Confederation of Indian Industry Excellence Award in the ground mounted solar category, reflecting not only delivery under pressure but sustained operational discipline. For instance, we have deployed dry robotic cleaning systems that help conserve water in water-stressed regions while maintaining plant performance.

Around 80 percent of our workforce is hired locally, helping create economic opportunities within the communities where we operate, while our training of more than 600 solar module technicians contributes to building a skilled workforce for India's growing renewable energy sector. Combined with a strong safety culture and globally recognised frameworks such as the Sustainability Energy Transition (SET) Label, these efforts reflect our belief that successful projects should deliver not only clean energy, but also lasting environmental, social, and economic value.

Que: What are the most common execution bottlenecks encountered during large-scale renewable projects, and how can developers proactively address them?

Ans: As India accelerates its clean energy transition and advances toward its long-term renewable energy ambitions, factors such as land readiness and transmission infrastructure continue to play an important enabling role. India has already crossed 240 GW of installed non-fossil fuel capacity, underscoring the strong progress achieved through coordinated efforts across policymakers, developers, transmission utilities, and local stakeholders. Continued investments in renewable energy infrastructure and grid integration are further strengthening the ecosystem and supporting the sustained growth needed to achieve the country's clean energy goals.

Supportive policy frameworks are playing a critical role in enabling this transition. The government's solar park programme has helped streamline early-stage project development by providing access to land and common infrastructure, while reducing development timelines and approval complexities. Similarly, the ongoing expansion of the Green Energy Corridor programme, designed to facilitate the integration of large volumes of renewable power into the grid, is strengthening transmission connectivity and improving power evacuation capabilities across renewable-rich regions. These initiatives have significantly enhanced the overall investment and execution environment for renewable energy projects.

For developers, proactive planning and close alignment with evolving infrastructure programmes are essential. The ability to synchronise project development with land availability, transmission readiness, and regulatory timelines is increasingly becoming a key differentiator in successful project execution. As India scales from its current renewable energy base toward its 2030 ambitions, continued collaboration across the public and private sectors will be crucial to ensuring that capacity additions translate into reliable, efficient, and sustainable clean energy generation.

Que: The sector is gradually transitioning from standalone solar and wind projects to hybrid and storage-integrated solutions. How does this shift change construction planning and execution strategies?

Ans: This transition fundamentally changes how renewable energy projects are planned and executed. Unlike standalone solar or wind assets, hybrid and storage-integrated projects require developers to coordinate multiple technologies while ensuring seamless interaction between generation assets, battery energy storage systems, transmission infrastructure, and advanced energy management platforms. As India advances toward its target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, storage and hybrid solutions are expected to play an increasingly important role in enhancing grid flexibility, reliability, and renewable energy integration. Construction activities therefore become more interconnected, demanding tighter coordination across engineering, procurement, commissioning, digital integration, and operations teams from the outset.

At ENGIE, this shift is reflected in the way our portfolio is evolving from standalone renewable generation to integrated energy ecosystems. This shift is reflected in the way our portfolio is evolving from standalone renewable generation to integrated energy ecosystems. The recently secured 280 MW / 560 MWh GUVNL BESS project and the SECI hybrid project, combining 200 MW of solar generation with six hours of battery storage, reflect our growing focus on integrating renewable energy, storage, digital intelligence, and grid flexibility into a single solution. These projects represent the next phase of ENGIE's strategy to support a more flexible, resilient, and reliable power system while accelerating the transition toward round-the-clock clean energy.

To support this transition, ENGIE is also strengthening its digital and operational capabilities. Through our Fleet Performance Diagnostic Centre (FPDC), we leverage centralised monitoring and performance analytics across our renewable energy portfolio in India to improve asset visibility and enable faster issue detection and resolution. Globally, digital tools such as Alexandria AI, Mobilee, and the LTSA Performance Tracker enhance plant performance, field responsiveness, predictive maintenance capabilities, and asset governance. These capabilities are increasingly complemented by ENGIE’s Supply & Energy Management (SEM) expertise, which integrates forecasting, storage, asset optimisation, and market operations to help balance renewable intermittency and deliver reliable, round-the-clock renewable power solutions to customers.

Que: What new technical capabilities and workforce skills are becoming essential for executing hybrid renewable energy projects?

Ans: As renewable energy projects become increasingly technology-driven, the skills required to develop and operate them are evolving beyond traditional engineering disciplines. The rise of hybrid renewable systems, energy storage, advanced power electronics, and digital control systems is creating demand for expertise in system integration, grid management, storage optimisation, and data-driven operations. At the same time, digitalisation is reshaping workforce requirements, with growing emphasis on AI-enabled forecasting, predictive maintenance, real-time analytics, cybersecurity, and energy market participation across the entire asset lifecycle.

Hybrid renewable energy projects are increasingly complex and require capabilities that extend beyond traditional power generation. As power systems become more digital, integrated, and responsive, the challenge is no longer only to build assets faster, but to build the talent base needed to run them well. Executing hybrid projects requires multidisciplinary capabilities and greater collaboration across engineering, operations, and digital functions. Building this workforce requires continuous learning and capability development.

Our commitment to building a diverse and future-ready workforce has been recognised externally, with ENGIE being named among the ET Now Best Organisations for Women for two consecutive years. In 2025, women represented approximately 33 percent of ENGIE’s management globally, with the Group targeting 40–60 percent representation by 2030. By continuing to invest in technical capability, leadership development, and diverse talent pipelines, we are strengthening the skills needed to support increasingly complex hybrid renewable energy systems.

Que: Renewable energy projects involve coordination among multiple stakeholders. What strategies are most effective for building trust and long-term stakeholder support?

Ans: Building trust in renewable energy projects starts with creating value beyond the project boundary. In our experience, stakeholders become long-term partners when they see tangible benefits for local communities through employment, skills development, improved infrastructure, and sustainable economic opportunities.

Health and safety are fundamental to this approach. Our vision of "No Life at Risk, No Mind at Risk, and No Asset at Risk" is deeply embedded across ENGIE's operations and underpins our safety-first culture. This commitment has enabled us to achieve more than 28 million man-hours without a Lost Time Accident (LTA), helping build trust among employees, contractors, communities, and other stakeholders.

Trust is strengthened through long-term community engagement. Through our partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), we have trained more than 600 youth across Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, helping build skills and employment opportunities in local communities. Our CSR initiatives further support development through interventions in education, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, and environmental stewardship. One such initiative is our beekeeping programme in Tamil Nadu’s Ayyalur forest villages, which enables local women to generate sustainable incomes through native bee cultivation while promoting biodiversity and community resilience. At ENGIE, CSR is an integral part of our approach, ensuring that the benefits of the energy transition are shared with the communities where we operate.

Que: Global supply chain disruptions have highlighted vulnerabilities across industries. How has the renewable energy sector adapted to ensure project continuity and timely equipment availability?

Ans: Recent supply chain disruptions have accelerated a structural shift toward localisation and supplier diversification across the renewable energy sector. In India, initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) have helped strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities and reduce reliance on imports.

Developers have also adopted more disciplined procurement strategies. Early sourcing decisions, long-term supplier partnerships, diversified vendor networks, and improved demand forecasting are now central to project planning. These measures provide greater visibility and reduce exposure to external disruptions.

As a result, the industry is becoming more resilient and better positioned to support sustained renewable energy deployment. The focus is no longer only on cost competitiveness, but also on supply security and execution certainty.

Que: ENGIE has been expanding its renewable energy footprint in India. How prepared is the company to execute next-generation projects involving hybrid systems, storage integration, and grid-support capabilities?

Ans: ENGIE is entering the next phase of India's energy transition from a position of scale, experience, and long-term commitment. Today, we operate 23 utility-scale solar, wind, and hybrid projects across seven states, with an ambition to reach 7 GW of renewable and storage capacity in India by 2030. This growth reflects our confidence in India's renewable energy market and its increasing focus on reliable, flexible, and dispatchable clean power solutions.

Our readiness is reflected in the scale and complexity of projects already secured. These include a 280 MW / 560 MWh GUVNL BESS and the 200 MW Solar integrated with 6 hours of Storage System SECI hybrid project, as well as our first large-scale hybrid project awarded by SECI, which integrates a 200 MW solar PV plant with a 100 MW / 600 MWh BESS providing six hours of storage. Together, these projects demonstrate how ENGIE is evolving beyond standalone renewable generation toward integrated solar, hybrid, and storage-backed solutions that can enhance grid flexibility, reliability, and energy security.

India plays a strategic role within ENGIE's global renewables and storage portfolio as energy markets increasingly prioritise firm clean power, round-the-clock renewable supply, and industrial decarbonisation. This is reinforced by ENGIE's global leadership in corporate renewable energy procurement, with 13.8 GW of corporate PPAs signed since 2011. Looking ahead, we remain optimistic about the Indian market, supported by strong policy momentum, growing corporate demand for clean energy, and expanding opportunities to integrate renewable generation, energy storage, and digital innovation. These trends will be key to delivering reliable, sustainable, and long-term value for customers and the broader energy system.