Mumbai, October 31, 2023: E-commerce and tech giant, Amazon, announced its 50th renewable energy project in India, solidifying its position as the country's largest corporate purchaser of renewables.
The recent addition of a 198 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Osmanabad, Maharashtra, brings Amazon's total wind and solar projects in India to 50, surpassing 1.1 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity. The data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance confirms Amazon's status as the leading corporate buyer of renewable energy in India, a title it has held since 2020.
Between 2014 and 2022, Amazon's Indian wind and solar farms facilitated a substantial economic boost, generating an estimated US$349 million (INR 2,885 crore) in community investments and contributing around US$87 million (INR 719 crore) to the nation's GDP. Furthermore, these initiatives supported over 20,600 local full-time equivalent jobs in 2022 alone, as per Amazon's recent economic model.
Abhinav Singh, Vice President, Operations, Amazon India, highlighted the significance of rapidly scaling renewable energy as an effective strategy to address climate change, especially in India. Singh emphasized, "Amazon’s wind and solar projects will help power all our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, while also bringing jobs and economic benefits to India’s communities. We’re eager to continue contributing to India’s economic and environmental goals as part of Amazon’s commitment to become a more sustainable business."
Shri Dinesh Dayanand Jagdale, Joint Secretary, The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, expressed appreciation for Amazon's contributions to renewable energy investments in the country, acknowledging the positive impact of such initiatives in accelerating India's progress towards its 2030 renewable energy targets. He also highlighted India's achievements in the sector, "India has already delivered on its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) target of 40% capacity from renewable sources ahead of schedule. We are also leading towards becoming one of the largest solar module manufacturers in the world with one of the largest wind energy manufacturing ecosystems as well. India remains focused on achieving the NDC goal of 50% capacity from renewable energy, and we are pleased to see our renewable energy sector is enabling corporates like Amazon to meet their own 100% renewable energy goals in the country.”
Amazon's wind farm in Osmanabad marks the company's seventh utility-scale renewable energy project in India over the past year. Additionally, the company has unveiled plans for 43 rooftop solar projects to power local Amazon facilities. Upon completion of all 50 projects, Amazon expects to generate enough energy to power more than 1.1 million homes in New Delhi annually, providing clean power for data centres, logistics facilities, physical stores, and corporate offices. The first utility-scale project set to become operational is Amazon's 100MW solar farm in Bhadla, Rajasthan.
Awadhesh Kumar, a senior engineer at Amazon Solar Farm India–Rajasthan Jaisalmer, emphasized the positive impact of Amazon's initiatives on local communities. Kumar highlighted the continuous income source, improved educational opportunities, and boosted local businesses resulting from the development of the solar farm. His testimonial shed light on the broader purpose of the work, emphasizing the significant role played by renewable energy companies like Amazon in contributing to environmental well-being and the local community's prosperity.
In recent years, Amazon has worked closely with policymakers, regulators, and various industry stakeholders to expand renewable energy procurement options, fostering the development of new renewable energy projects in India.
In 2022, the electricity consumed in Amazon Web Services (AWS) Regions in Mumbai and Hyderabad was solely attributed to 100% renewable energy, underscoring the company's dedication to sustainable practices in its operations.
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, in June 2023, announced a significant commitment to invest US$26 billion (INR 2,14,942 crore) in India by 2030, including $12.7 billion (INR 1,05,600 crore) allocated by AWS for cloud infrastructure development by 2030. With the goal of achieving global 100% renewable energy by 2025, AWS tools are aiding customers in India to monitor their renewable energy operations efficiently. Greenko Group, for example, utilizes AWS to analyze the performance of its 2,200-turbine wind fleet in real-time, incorporating artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things, and data analytics.
In line with its commitment to sustainability, Amazon is on a mission to achieve net-zero carbon by 2040 through The Climate Pledge, which has garnered over 400 signatories, including nine Indian companies. Notably, Amazon is electrifying its delivery fleet, with over 6,000 electric vehicles operational in its Indian delivery fleet, catering to more than 400 local cities. Moreover, the company has dedicated US$15 million to nature-based projects in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with an initial US$3 million supporting projects in India, starting with the plantation of 300,000 trees in the Western Ghats, contributing to carbon sinks, wildlife conservation, and livelihood enhancement.
