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REC Limited, a government-owned power sector company, has finished an independent check to confirm that the money it raised through its green bonds was used properly for environmentally friendly projects. These bonds include USD 500 million raised in September 2024 and about JPY 61 billion raised in January 2024, both issued under its green funding guidelines.
The PSU said in a release that the independent verification, conducted in accordance with the International Capital Market Association (ICMA)'s Green Bond Principles confirmed that the entire net proceeds from both the issuances have been fully allocated to eligible projects consistent with REC's Green Finance Framework. REC's inaugural Green Bond Impact Report (FY 2025) reflects a maturing green-finance ecosystem where accountability is as important as ambition. Developed through close technical collaboration and international benchmarking, including expert support from the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the report builds on GGGI's earlier role in reaffirming REC's Green Finance Framework as part of the Second Party Opinion (SPO) process ahead of the issuances. This continued collaboration supported REC in aligning its post-issuance assurance process and impact report with evolving ICMA standards and global best practices, the release added. The report introduces a dual approach to measuring renewable energy and climate benefits -- distinguishing between financed impact, representing REC's proportional contribution based on its financed share of total project cost, and enabled impact, capturing the additional generation and abatement achieved beyond REC's financed share. During FY 2025, the portfolio of 11 operational projects delivered 0.87 million tCO of financed reductions and 1.34 million tCO of enabled reductions, supported by approximately 1 billion kWh of financed renewable generation across 2,032 MW of total installed capacity. By disclosing both, REC strengthens transparency on how its financing influences decarbonization outcomes -- a step aligned with evolving global investor expectations. Avoided emissions are calculated using India's official Combined Margin emission factor of 0.861 tCO/MWh for all grid-connected projects. One exception is a 7 MW solar project, which follows small-scale CDM guidance and uses the import-adjusted weighted average emission factor (0.727 tCO/MWh) instead. This ensures the calculations follow the most appropriate method for each project type. REC's internal data-controls framework ensures impact attribution remains transparent and verifiable. Foreclosed projects are excluded from impact attribution, while under-construction assets record zero impact until commissioning. These safeguards, combined with independent verification aligned with ICMA's Green Bond Principles, reinforce the integrity of REC's reporting system and ensure audit readiness. REC's green bond portfolio spans India's clean-energy heartlands, with projects distributed across multiple states and technologies. On a combined (financed and enabled) basis, Rajasthan accounted for 70.9 per cent of total emission reductions, followed by Gujarat (16 per cent), Karnataka (5.1 per cent), and Bihar (3.6 per cent), with additional contributions from Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Maharashtra. The portfolio (including under construction projects) reflects balanced diversification -- spanning renewable energy, biogas, pumped storage, and low carbon mobility (e-buses and Mumbai Metro) -- ensuring both resilience and scale in India's energy transition. (ANI)
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