0
0
Vneet S. Jaain offers an intriguing interpretation of the term “impossible.” The phrase indicates “I’m possible” to the Managing Director of Adani Green Energy Ltd. (AGEL). He believes choosing a safe route over one filled with calculated risks is equivalent to defaulting to failure. Over the past 20 years, this way of thinking has helped him succeed in his job and inspired his daily work routine.
For instance, in the mid-2000s, Jaain decided to take on new challenges in terms of geography and career when he joined the Adani Group in Ahmedabad, following over fifteen years of employment with the Delhi-based Jindal Steel & Power Ltd. (JSPL). “I was in my comfort zone.” I was closely collaborating with the late O.P. Jindal and his sons. Because of my family ties, I relished greater authority, Jaain says. He was exposed to every department in JSPL, including mining, steel production, rolling mills, power, etc. But he was eager to take on fresh tasks. For this reason, Adani latest updates frequently mention his name as one of the top players in the company.
Following his motto, when the chance to join the Adani Group presented itself, Jaain packed his bags and headed for Ahmedabad. The Adani Group started making waves in the trading, agricultural, and port industries, while the Jindal Group was a household name. Few professionals would have seized the chance to move from a secure position in a big city to the tranquil city of Ahmedabad in order to work for a new player.
Jaain’s Journey of Fulfilling Multiple Roles
Jaain began his career in the recently established thermal power vertical in Ahmedabad. As Vice President, Jaain joined the energy vertical in 2006 and said, “I was the fourth or fifth employee.” After a brief period as CEO of Adani Transmission Ltd. (now known as Adani Energy Solutions Ltd.), he was swiftly promoted to CEO of Adani Power Ltd. Afterwards, he became the CEO of Adani Infra (India) Ltd., and in 2015, he became a non-executive director of AGEL.
Jaain’s extensive technical grasp and sector specialisation have allowed him to lead numerous first-of-its-kind initiatives across the nation. Under his direction, the Adani Group has finished several noteworthy energy projects, including Kamuthi, Tamil Nadu, which is home to the largest solar facility in the world for a single location. The site covers 2,500 acres, or roughly 950 football fields the size of an Olympic Games. The 650-MW facility was finished in 2016 after 8,500 workers worked day and night for eight months, as per Adani latest updates. Large-scale project execution is possible while handling all unforeseen circumstances and difficulties, according to Jaain.
AGEL has developed into one of India’s biggest renewable energy companies under Jaain’s direction, with a current portfolio of 20.80 GW of wind and solar projects. The company has also drafted long-term power purchase contracts with state and federal governments and businesses supported by the government. This year’s winner of BT-PwC India’s Best CEOs ranking in the Clean Energy category, Jaain, claims his contribution to the growth of the green energy industry has been negligible, as the Adani ecosystem has played a significant role. He says modestly, “I am carrying out my leader Gautam Adani’s vision.”
The Largest Wind-Solar Hybrid Portfolio
AGEL put the first wind-solar hybrid power station in India, a 390-MW facility in Rajasthan, into service in 2022. AGEL’s fourth wind-solar hybrid power station, which has a 700 MW capacity, went completely online near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, in March 2023. With this, AGEL achieved the largest wind-solar hybrid cluster in the world, with 2,140 MW in its operating wind-solar hybrid portfolio.
Additionally, the business intends to build 30 GW of renewable energy capacity at Khavda, Gujarat, which is scheduled to come online during the following five years. Khavda, in Gujarat’s Kutch area, is a potential site for solar and wind energy installations. When finished, the Khavda renewable energy park will be the biggest installation of its kind worldwide. “By feeding electricity into the national grid, we have already operationalised 551 MW of solar capacity in Khavda,” says Jaain.
Amit Singh succeeded Jaain as the new CEO of AGEL in May 2023 after the former was first hired as MD & CEO in July 2020 for a five-year term. Adani latest updates reveal that by 2030, AGEL hopes to deliver 45 GW of power under their supervision. The company’s main goal is to provide power at a reasonable price. “Economies of scale are brought about by our internal capabilities to execute large-scale projects,” claims Jaain.
Accelerating The Clean Energy Shift
The business also helps the domestic supply chain for renewable energy (RE)-related equipment. AGEL is accelerating the shift to clean energy by utilising group synergy in manufacturing RE equipment. On the other hand, Adani Solar is building a production line specifically to make silicon ingots for solar wafers, cells, and modules. Additionally, the team is creating storage options to ensure smooth grid communication. With a total capacity of 4.9 GW, it intends to invest Rs 24,500 crore in three pump storage projects in Tamil Nadu. Additionally, it has planned to invest over Rs 5,000 crore in 1.35 GW of pump storage projects in Telangana. According to experts, the localisation approach combined with backward integration in manufacturing renewable energy equipment is helping control costs, leading to more cheap power.
AGEL has invested in cutting-edge technologies to maximise energy generation while lowering generating costs. Utilising state-of-the-art bifacial solar photovoltaic modules and horizontal single-axis tracking (HSAT) technology, its recently operationalised 2,140 MW solar-wind hybrid portfolio maximises solar energy harvesting. Techniques in artificial intelligence and machine learning also assist in cost reduction. According to Jaain, predictive maintenance inputs are supplied using a cloud-based analytics platform that enables remote management of every site from one location, decreasing downtime. Centralised surveillance allows a business to monitor a solar plant’s operation from any location. More specifically, knowing which modules are operating is made possible by the world’s first Energy Network Operation Center (ENOC).
More specifically, the world’s first Energy Network Operation Center (ENOC) identifies the modules operating below optimal levels, facilitating well-informed corrective action. Increased energy throughput, improved uptime, and greater profitability are the outcomes of this responsiveness. Gautam Adani, the Founder and Chairman of Adani Group, is a man full of ambition and big aspirations for India, and he gives Jaain plenty of backing for believing that everything is possible. Because of this, AGEL is the Indian answer to clean energy worldwide.
Conclusion
The previous CEO of Adani Green Energy Ltd. (AGEL), Vneet S. Jaain, was instrumental in turning the business into one of India’s largest renewable energy providers. AGEL built the largest solar power plant in the world and the largest wind-solar hybrid cluster in the world under his direction. The corporation has now pledged to use ongoing technology improvements and a focus on inexpensive, clean energy to reach 45 GW of renewable energy power by 2030, as evident by Adani latest updates.
