One of India’s and the world’s largest renewable energy businesses, ReNew also has a strong commitment to social impact.
As the world increasingly turns its focus to renewable energy, ReNew has emerged as a significant player in this vital sector.
Its significance in the renewable energy space also centres around its home country of India — a nation heavily dependent on fossil fuels to generate electricity and power industry.
Working to turn this around and increase India’s renewable energy capacity, RenNew has a portfolio of approximately 15GW of clean energy assets — a figure only expected to rise.
Introducing ReNew
ABOUT RENEW
- Founded: 2011
- Founder, Chairman and CEO: Sumant Sinha
- Operations: 150 projects across 10 states
Although a relatively new company, ReNew has already made a significant impact.
Responsible for 5% of India’s total installed renewable capacity, in FY24 alone, ReNew has produced 19,492GWh of clean energy — enough to power around 5.3 million Indian households each year.
“We find ourselves in a position to create a company of great value, focused towards sustainability.” – Sumant Sinha, Founder, Chairman and CEO of ReNew.
Founder, Chairman and CEO Sumant Sinha says: “I’m a firm believer that renewable energy is no longer only about energy security and climate change, but also an opportunity that will provide economic advantages, propel local economies and create more jobs for all. At ReNew, we have a rare opportunity.
“We find ourselves in a position to create a company of great value, focused towards sustainability — one that can stand the test of time and help leapfrog economies to a cleaner, more resilient future.”
As a result of its green operations, ReNew has prevented 16m tons of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions from between six and seven million passenger vehicles.
What are some of ReNew’s most significant projects?
ReNew provides decarbonisation solutions through a mix of green hydrogen, data-driven solutions, storage, manufacturing and carbon markets.
Among ReNew’s portfolio are utility-scale solar and wind, as well as hydropower.
Renew Power RTC-I Rajasthan Solar PV Park: Inaugurated in July 2024, this 400MW solar project in Rajasthan is part of a 600MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The project is spread across 2,000 acres of land in the Jaisalmer district and is expected to generate about 1,331 million units of electricity annually.
6.9GW of commissioned and committed wind energy assets: ReNew has India’s largest wind portfolio of 4.7GW, representing 10.5% of India’s total wind energy capacity.
India’s largest solar farm: ReNew commissioned a 510MW solar farm in Telangana in 2017, the largest in India at the time.
SECI-4 project: In 2019, ReNew partnered with Korean company GSE&C to jointly develop the SECI-4 project in Rajasthan.
Large-scale battery storage system: ReNew is setting up one of India’s largest utility-scale lithium-ion battery systems across two states, which is due to be online by late 2023. This project aims to address India’s significant need for energy storage capacity.
Sumant continues: “The development of batteries is being largely driven by what is happening in the mobility sector, where electric vehicles are driving the demand.
“These batteries will also find a place in storage in grid management.”
ReNew’s social impact
It’s not just its efforts in renewable energy that sets ReNew apart. Its projects also bring socioeconomic benefits to the communities it serves.
ReNew says that more than 1.4m lives have been positively impacted through its socioeconomic programmes.
For example, ReNew’s India Initiative drives social transformation programmes that empower communities through education and sustainable means of livelihood and help fulfil the global agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Other successful programmes include:
- Lighting Lives, which electrified 114 schools with solar power and created 55 digital learning centres
- Women for Climate, a programme that empowers women through clean energy training, including Project SURYA, which trains salt pan workers as solar technicians
- Gift Warmth, an initiative that has distributed more than 600,000 blankets to vulnerable populations since 2015
- Rice Bucket Challenge, which has delivered more than 130,000kg of rice to those in need since 2015
In 2023, ReNew’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives positively supported one million lives across India, with no signs of slowing down.
Vaishali Nigam Sinha, Co-Founder and Chairperson for Sustainability, says: “We are immensely proud to have crossed this important milestone in our journey towards a just, equitable and greener future.
“The achievement reinforces our commitment to sustainability and serves as a beacon of hope for a brighter tomorrow, where clean energy and social responsibility go hand in hand.
“ReNew’s ambitious outreach programmes aim to achieve significant social support through a careful mix of employee volunteers, government engagement and climate change advocacy.
“We remain steadfast in our mission to leave a lasting, positive support on the lives of many more as we forge ahead on the path towards a sustainable and inclusive India.”
