Electricity grids are often called the world’s largest machines – spreading over thousands of kilometres, working in perfect synchronisation to deliver power. However, contrary to conventional machines, these machines actually help kill carbon. Globally, electricity makes up just about 20 per cent of the total energy consumption and more than 60 per cent of the electricity is still generated by burning some form of fossil fuels. However, thanks to the rapid growth of renewables in power generation, we are seeing a welcome trend of ‘greening of the grid’ where a majority of the new power generation coming on to the grid is coming from wind and solar sources.
If the world is truly serious about reducing carbon footprint then electricity needs to become 4x of the present installed capacity by 2050 and this power has to be delivered efficiently to every corner of the world. India has a unique advantage in this regard because our per capita electricity consumption of 800 is still very low compared to developed countries’ per capita consumption of 9,000 w. Hence, all we have to do is add majority of the new generating capacity through renewables but for developed countries, adopting renewables means that they actually have to decommission a lot of existing fossil fuel based capacity.
Renewable power, which is typically generated far away from the demand centres need longer transmission lines and greater grid investments. Central Electric Authority (CEA), India, has drawn up an ambitious plan of investment of Rs2.4 lakh crore into the Indian Transmission sector to integrate 500 GW of renewable power into the grid by 2030.
Even today, there are a lot of clean renewable power plants awaiting connection into the grid and several others, which are waiting in the pipeline for clarity on power evacuation. This trend is visible not just in India but globally as well. However, investments into the grid still continue to be lag behind requirement.
At Skipper, we are taking several initiatives to help speed up this process of grid construction globally. With presence in over 65 countries, Skipper is one of the world’s largest makers of power T&D structures. The company designs and manufactures T&D structures those are not only robust but also adaptable to diverse terrains. One of the major ways how we are helping global transmission utilities and large EPCs build transmission lines faster is by reducing the cost and faster availability of the towers and poles.
We achieve this through our strong backward integration and large economies of scale, making us one of the low-cost producers for T&D structures globally. Our large production capacity has the capability to produce as per any global standard and material grades. Our in-house engineering, load testing and R&D centre help us design and test new innovative engineering solutions such as Narrow-based towers and Monopoles.
These products help reduce the ground footprint in areas with right of way constraints and even reduce the requirement of trees to be cut when the transmission line is passing through a forest area, all very effective solutions to obtain faster regulatory approvals and even speed up construction.
At Skipper, we understand that sustainability is a continuous journey that requires collaborative effort from all stakeholders
Offshoring and ‘Friendshoring’: Our active participation in several cross-border transmission line projects has helped supply clean renewable power generated in India to our neighbouring countries, such as Nepal and Bangladesh. We are committed to the Prime Minister’s vision of global integration of power grids around the world to achieve the goal of ‘One Sun One World One Grid’ where we will see actual ‘Offshoring’ and ‘Friendshoring’ of electricity. As the COP 28 identifies the solutions for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, and ultimately achieve the delivery of the Paris Agreement goals, we strongly stand by our country’s long-term goal of reaching net-zero by 2070.
To kick-start our own internal journey towards renewable energy adoption, Skipper is proud to announce the installation of 1.50 MW rooftop solar panels across three of our plants located in Howrah, West Bengal. This ambitious initiative is expected to generate clean energy, while reducing the carbon footprint induced by our operations. By harnessing the power of the sun, we are not only reducing our reliance on traditional energy sources but also setting an example for other industries to follow.
We have also implemented a water conservation initiative by utilising Reverse Osmosis (RO) water from Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) treated water. This initiative supports our galvanised iron (GI) operations. This innovative water conservation approach not only minimises our water consumption but also reduces the energy required for water treatment.
At Skipper, we understand that sustainability is a continuous journey that requires collaborative effort from all stakeholders. Our vision for Skipper’s future is to emerge as the largest and most reliable manufacturer for T&D structures globally, helping our customers deliver large transmission projects with reduced cost, faster execution and with the lowest possible environment footprint. We aim to play our part in making India the preferred sourcing hub for all global infrastructure requirements.