BrightNight on Tuesday announced the commissioning of the first phase of Optima Maharashtra, its inaugural 115 megawatt (MW) hybrid renewable power (RE) project in India, and one of the first co-located wind-solar projects in the state.

This marks BrightNight’s first-ever energy delivery into the Indian power grid, furthering its mission to decarbonise energy globally, the US-headquartered firm said.

Strategically located in Dharashiv, southern Maharashtra, and spanning about 14,000 acres, Optima Maharashtra integrates advanced wind and solar technologies, powered by BrightNight’s proprietary AI-enabled PowerAlpha platform,1 which ensures maximum power output with the lowest environmental footprint.

“India’s rapid growth, significant energy demand, and favorable policy environment make it a key market for us, and we are confident in our ability to deliver substantial value here. Optima Maharashtra will be pivotal in advancing the State’s clean energy goals and supporting India’s broader Net Zero mission,” said Martin Hermann, CEO of BrightNight.

Optima Maharashtra will play a crucial role in helping the State achieve its goal of sourcing 40 percent of its energy from renewables by 2030. It will be generating enough dispatchable clean energy to power about 230,000 homes annually while preventing about 225,000 tonnes of carbon emissions.

Looking ahead, BrightNight is preparing to begin construction on two large-scale projects in Rajasthan, which will combine a variety of clean energy technologies, including wind, solar, and battery energy storage systems, to supply peak power to off-takers connected to the national grid, said Naveen Khandelwal, CEO of BrightNight India.

BrightNight is actively developing multiple hybrid projects across several states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. After entering the US market in 2019, India became BrightNight’s second major global market.

To support the development of BrightNight’s gigawatt-scale renewable power portfolio in India, Philippines-based ACEN Corporation, part of the Ayala Group, committed $250 million of investment into BrightNight India in 2023.