New Delhi: Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) has become the world’s first renewable energy (RE) Independent Power Producer (IPP) to turn water positive across its entire operational portfolio, that exceeds a massive 14 GW capacity.
AGEL achieved water positivity a year ahead of its FY26 target to set a new standard for sustainability. It is the first and only among top global 10 (in terms of operational RE portfolio) companies to ever reach this milestone.
The Adani Group company has been certified water positive by Intertek, a global assurance firm after conducting comprehensive audits and assessment of AGEL’s water accounting data across 103 operational sites, and 85 water conservation sites. It is also the only renewable energy company in India of this scale to be certified water positive, according to a company statement.
Being water positive means adopting practices that not only save water but also increase water availability in the surroundings. For industries, this means replenishing more fresh water to nature than they consume in their operations. A water-positive framework involves preserving water, optimizing its consumption and contributing to its replenishment.
The development is noteworthy, since the majority of AGEL’s solar and wind plants are in landscapes where survival is a challenge and water is a luxury.
AGEL has achieved what few thought possible — turning India’s harshest terrains and into sustainability hubs. From unforgiving and the barren expanses of Khavda in Gujarat, and the arid regions of the Thar desert, AGEL’s water positivity has emerged as an oasis of hope and innovation, the company said.
To understand the magnitude of this accomplishment, consider that AGEL's water conservation is equivalent to about 467 Olympic-sized swimming pools and enough to exceed the half-yearly water demand of Lakshadweep. Eighty-five revitalised ponds now benefit over 1,23,000 people including water-scarce communities. Over 54 per cent of AGEL's operational capacity employs robotic cleaning technology for solar modules, saving approximately 546 million litres of water annually.
AGEL's journey towards this monumental achievement began with a visionary ESG goal to make more than 200 MW of their operational plants water positive. This goal was not only met in FY23 itself, AGEL set out to extend the water positivity goal to the entire operational portfolio by FY26. AGEL has achieved this remarkable target a full year ahead of schedule.
In a country where water scarcity affects millions, this milestone isn’t just corporate success, it’s a sustainability revolution. By leveraging advanced water-saving technologies, such as waterless robotic cleaning of solar panels, deepening of traditional water bodies, rainwater harvesting and various pilot projects such as the clean drinking water condensed from humid air, AGEL is proving that clean energy doesn’t have to come at the cost of precious natural resources.
“We don’t just generate green energy. We build it the greenest way possible” said an AGEL spokesperson. “Climate change will intensify the global water stress and India is among the countries facing the highest level of water security challenges. India has low levels of freshwater available per capita and high levels of utilisation. That’s why this achievement matters.”
AGEL’s operating portfolio is certified as water positive, single-use plastic free and zero waste-to-landfill, a testament to the company’s commitment of powering sustainable growth. What started as a bold ESG goal, has now become a nationwide benchmark, placing AGEL, India’s largest RE company at the forefront of the green energy and blue planet movement. Water resources are increasingly under pressure from population growth, economic development, pollution and the changing climate. A water-positive framework that involves preserving water, optimising its consumption and contributing to its replenishment leads to a more sustainable environment, the statement added.
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