Singtel associate Airtel’s data centre firm inks renewable-energy partnership to boost capacity

[SINGAPORE] Singtel regional associate Bharti Airtel announced on Monday (Jul 28) that its data centre company Nxtra has signed a partnership with an Indian renewable-energy company to raise its capacity.

Nxtra’s partnership with Ampin Energy Transition involves 125.7 megawatts (MW) of solar-wind hybrid energy through plants connected to the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS), said the New Delhi-headquartered telco.

The collaboration will boost the data centre company’s infrastructural efficiency, decarbonisation efforts and operations; it will also raise the renewable-energy capacity supplied through its partnership with Ampin Energy Transition to more than 200 MW, Airtel said.

The additional capacity will be delivered to Nxtra in two phases. In each phase, it will be delivered through captive solar-wind power projects in the states of Rajasthan and Karnataka.

Ampin Energy Transition already supplies solar power to Nxtra through intra-state, open-access systems in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha, Airtel noted.

Ashish Arora, chief executive of Nxtra, said that the partnership uses ISTS-backed clean energy to power facilities to support India’s digital growth sustainably.

Singtel’s sale of a 1.2 per cent of its direct stake in Airtel, announced in May, brought its effective interest in the company from 29.5 per cent to 28.3 per cent.

Headquartered in New Delhi with a portfolio comprising renewable-energy assets across solar and wind energy, Ampin Energy Transition provides green energy to utility, commercial and industrial players.

It is backed by leading institutional investors from Europe, Asia and North America. Among these are European investment platform Lightrock, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and global alternative asset manager Intermediate Capital Group.