Airtel commissions 21 MW captive solar power plant in Maharashtra

• Airtel expects a significant reduction of 25,517 tonnes in carbon emissions annually through this solar power plant
• Nxtra by Airtel has already commissioned two captive solar power plants of 14 MW each in the state of UP

New Delhi: Bharti Airtel has announced the commissioning of a new 21 MW solar power plant in Bhuldana district of Maharashtra on Tuesday as part of the company's commitment to progressively reduce its carbon footprint and contribute to the global efforts to curb the effects of climate change. "The captive solar power plant, which is spread over 80 acres, has been set up by Airtel, in partnership with Avaada, to supply clean energy to Nxtra by Airtel's large and edge data centers, and switching centers in the State of Maharashtra," said a statement.

"The Company expects a significant reduction of 25,517 tonnes in carbon emissions annually through this unit," it added.

Airtel Nxtra to source 50% of its power requirement via RE

Rajesh Tapadia, CEO, Nxtra by Airtel said, "Sustainability is a priority area for Nxtra by Airtel. This is yet another step towards fulfilling our commitment to source more than 50 percent power requirements of our data centres through renewable energy sources in next 12 months and contribute to Airtel's overall GHG emission reduction targets."

Nxtra has commissioned 14 MW captive solar power plants in UP

Nxtra by Airtel has already commissioned two captive solar power plants of 14 MW each in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) as part of its focus on green energy sources to power its growing operations. The company has the largest network of data centres in India with 11 large and 120 edge data centres across the country and plans to invest over Rs 5,000 crore over the next four years to expand its capacity by 3 times.

Airtel has committed to reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 Green House Gas (GHG) emissions across its operations by 50.2 percent by FY31 (from FY21 as base year). Airtel has also committed to reduce absolute scope 3 GHG emissions by 42 percent over the same timeframe. It will achieve this through multiple interventions including accelerated green energy adoption across its network operations, energy efficient infrastructure and processes as well as implementing sustainable business practices at its workplaces. Airtel is aligned to the Paris Climate Accord, said the company.

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