OREANDA-NEWS. Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power utility, today announced that it has signed an operating memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Energy Efficiency Services (EESL), a joint venture of public sector units under the Ministry of Power, to carry out collaborative activities and partnerships in the field of energy efficiency and DSM. The MoU commences from August 26, 2013, and will remain in force till August 25, 2016.

The MoU provides an overarching framework and strategy for collaborative activities and partnership for energy efficiency and conservation. This initiative is to implement energy efficiency projects for large heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) consumers and also to promote the replacement of R22-based chillers with new environment-friendly and energy-efficient chillers. EESL is mandated by GOI to be the lead implementing arm of the government to create and sustain markets for energy efficiency. EESL acts as a super ESCO to help in financing and developing large energy efficiency projects. Possible GEF grant to replace chillers using R22 technologies would form a part of a suite of projects that will be planned. The proposed activity will target high-end HVAC users to demonstrate efficiency implementation.

Anil Sardana, managing director, Tata Power, stated, “We are proud to announce our association with EESL and look forward to working with them on driving energy conservation and efficiency to our customers. The concept of energy efficiency and demand side management are integral to Tata Power’s commitment on sustainability. The company is doing its utmost in offering consumers a bouquet of choices by way of various energy-saving schemes and opportunities to provoke a culture of conservation of scarce resources, including energy. Following this association, Tata Power will approach consumers duly supported by EESL and facilitate successful energy efficiency projects.”

On September 16, 2013, EESL and Tata Power had arranged a focused group discussion with high-end HVAC consumers in Mumbai, where the consumers expressed that EESL and Tata Power together would add a lot of value to carry out large energy efficiency projects at their premises.

Saurabh Kumar, managing director of EESL, said “The partnership with Tata Power is the first-of-its-kind that EESL has inked with a distribution and power company. This will not only lead to mainstreaming of energy efficiency in the service area of Tata Power, but would also serve as a model for other Discoms as well.”

EESL is a joint venture company of four central public sector undertakings of the Ministry of Power, Government of India - NTPC, Powergrid Corporation of India, Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation. It was formed to lead the market development and implementation functions of the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency, which seeks to unlock the energy efficiency market.