Sprng Energy, AMPIN, Juniper, ReNew, Avaada Win NTPC’s 1 GW Hybrid Auction

Biofuels Firm GPS Renewables Raises $50 Million in Debt Financing

Solar Auctions Surge by 229% in Q1 2024, Tender Activity Up 122%

Global Wind Installations Reached 1 TW Milestone in 2023

Funding and M&A Roundup: Nexamp Secures $520 Million

Project Finance Brief: Arevon Secures $352 Million for Posey Solar Project

Indian Oil Issues Empanelment Tender for Solar Power Projects

Southern Railway Seeks Bids for 1.2 MW Rooftop Solar Projects in Chennai

Husk Secures $4 Million from Electrifi to Scale up Mini Grids in Rural India

Doubling Transmission Capacity of Existing Grid Through Reconductoring: Report


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/amazon_polly_39002.mp3?version=1659597086">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>To meet the ambitious target of 280 GW by 2030, India must install 27 GW of capacity annually until 2030.</p>
<p>Currently, India has a module manufacturing capacity of 24 GW and a cell manufacturing capacity of 4 GW.</p>
<p>India&#8217;s current module manufacturing projection, excluding the capacity under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) program, is expected to be 8-9 GW until 2024. This translates to a total capacity addition of 24 GW by 2024. The cell manufacturing capacity will be 14 GW by the same year.</p>
<p>In November 2020, the government <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-gets-incentive-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> the PLI program for ten critical sectors to enhance India&#8217;s manufacturing capabilities and exports under the &#8216;Aatmanirbhar Bharat&#8217; initiative.</p>
<p>The two-day <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Solar Summit 2022</a>, which began on July 28 in New Delhi, discussed issues relating to the vertical integration of solar manufacturing in India in a session titled <strong>&#8216;Plans and Progress of Vertically Scaling Solar Manufacturing in India.&#8217;</strong></p>
<p>The panelists were Sujoy Ghosh<strong>, </strong>Vice President &amp; Country Managing Director -India, <a href="https://www.firstsolar.com/en-IN/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">First Solar</a>;  Someshwer Dutt Sharma<strong>, </strong>Vice President – Innovation New Initiatives at <a href="https://avaadaenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avaada Group</a>; and Rahul Bhutiani<strong>, </strong>Head of Sales &amp; Marketing, <a href="https://www.adanisolar.com/">Adani Solar</a>.</p>
<p>The session was moderated by Priya Sanjay, Managing Director, Mercom India.</p>
<p>The panel discussed timelines for cell, wafer, and polysilicon manufacturing to catch up and the technologies being planned for production beyond polycrystalline and monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells.</p>
<p><strong>Integrated solar manufacturing </strong>On First Solar&#8217;s foray into the Indian market, Sujoy Ghosh said, &#8220;We are one of the few solar manufacturing companies outside China, and we see India as an important market. We have been engaging with the Indian government since 2016. Things have changed in India. After the implementation of the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) and the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), the domestic manufacturing industry is well equipped to compete with cheap Chinese exports. Post-Covid, the risk of logistics has increased. It&#8217;s better to have the manufacturing segment near the point of demand now.&#8221;</p>
<p>On thin film technology, Ghosh said, &#8220;We are a thin-film manufacturer and have the entire manufacturing process under one roof. It&#8217;s a very competitive process, with zero dependency on silicon. We currently have 2.5 GW of manufacturing capacity in the country and are in a position to give the lowest cost of production. Earlier, we didn&#8217;t sell modules in India because we lacked capacity. But now, the demands have increased, and we are in a better position. We have the confidence to stand against any technology and will always be competitive.&#8221;</p>
<p>In the last 16-18 months, the solar sector has been impacted by several factors, including supply chain issues. Supply chain disruptions have highlighted the need for vertical integration of the solar manufacturing ecosystem.</p>
<p>Stressing the need for an integrated solar manufacturing setup, Rahul Bhutiani said, &#8220;We have an opportunity to grow. We are looking at challenges due to supply chain issues. We need a fully integrated manufacturing setup, and we should not depend on other countries. We are planning to expand with 4 GW of cell and module manufacturing capacity by 2024, and we are also planning to have a fully-integrated manufacturing capacity by 2025. We are also working on setting up an ancillary ecosystem where we will have all the ancillaries. So all these steps will help us achieve our manufacturing ambitions.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We have a captive supply chain, and the silicon supply chain is commoditized. We work with our captive suppliers and are insulated from the ups and downs of the commodities. It is tough to compete against dumping. The best thing about us is that we have the ability to project the cost for three to four years, and we bring a certain amount of certainty in terms of cost,&#8221; noted Ghosh.</p>
<p><strong>Polysilicon production </strong></p>
<p>Bhutiani said Adani was looking at integrating the vertical and ancillary manufacturing capabilities in the near future. He said things would be a bit difficult for the next two years.</p>
<p>&#8220;Currently, we have 1.5 GW of multicrystalline modules. We plan to upgrade and convert it to 2 GW of mono PERC and 2 GW of TOPCon by the end of the year. We are basically looking at integrating vertical and ancillary manufacturing capabilities. We are working to make this happen to control the modules&#8217; production. With the duties in place, the government is doing everything to promote domestic manufacturing,&#8221; he said.</p>
<p>Regarding the current geopolitical situation and the energy crisis in the European Union, Bhutiani said, &#8220;If we don&#8217;t have energy security, we will struggle like the European Union. If we dream of energy security, we&#8217;ll have to endure the pain for the next two years. We are planning for a 10 GW manufacturing capability by 2025 and may look at further expansion. The government is looking at the manufacturing sector closely, and in the next decade, there will be a big opportunity for developers and manufacturers. The next three years are very critical. If we don&#8217;t allow manufacturers to grow, it will be detrimental to the manufacturing segment.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sharing his company&#8217;s plans, Sharma said, &#8220;We are planning to set up cell and module manufacturing capacity of 3 GW. We will start production by the end of next year or the start of 2024. We will ramp it up to 5 GW by 2025, and it will be fully integrated. We will also enter into polysilicon manufacturing, for which the government has to provide all the details. Currently, the trend is TOPCon, and we can upgrade mono PERC to TOPCon. Once you control polysilicon, you can control the whole manufacturing process.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8221; Vertical integration is crucial for the production of polysilicon. Vertical integration will take some time, but it will help to ramp up the production capacity. We are also planning to get into silicon mining,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>In February this year, the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/module-pli-auction-winners-list-jindal-out-adani-in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> an updated list of successful bidders for setting up manufacturing capacities for a minimum of 10 GW of vertically-integrated high-efficiency solar modules under the PLI program. According to the updated list, Reliance New Energy Solar&#8217;s PLI award amount is increased to ₹19.17 billion (~$254.24 million) from the earlier ₹11.90 billion (~$160 million) for a capacity of 4 GW. Adani was awarded a PLI of ₹6.63 billion (~$87.93 million), out of the total quoted amount of ₹36 billion (~$477.44 million) for a capacity of nearly 737 MW under the bucket filling method, according to Mercom sources. Shirdi Sai Electricals&#8217; PLI award stayed the same at ₹18.75 billion (~$252 million) for a capacity of 4 GW.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn">
<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Vertical Integration of Manufacturing Key to Solar Sector Growth


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/amazon_polly_38979.mp3?version=1659417117">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>Mercom India announced the awards under ten categories at the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Solar Summit 2022</a>, held on July 28 and 29, 2022.</p>
<p>The awards were presented for outstanding work in each category. Winners were chosen based on project innovation, challenges overcome, uniqueness, and impact on the community, economy, and the environment.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.engie.com/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ENGIE</a> was declared winner in the <strong>best large-scale project category</strong> for their 200 MW solar power project at Raghanesda in Gujarat. All the construction work happened during the Covid-19 pandemic. It was challenging to get the workforce on site and avoid spreading the infection. All pandemic protocols were strictly implemented, and the work was completed on time without interruptions. Engie collaborated with multiple Gujarat government entities to construct the project that will generate close to 546 gigawatt-hours of electricity while reducing 387,056 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.adanigreenenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adani Green Energy</a> was declared the winner in the <strong>best hybrid project category</strong>. Adani Green Energy&#8217;s subsidiary Adani Hybrid Jaisalmer One had commissioned India&#8217;s first largest co-located wind-solar hybrid power project in Rajasthan. The 390 MW ISTS-connected wind-solar hybrid project under SECI Tranche I is India&#8217;s first co-located hybrid project with individual solar and wind component capacities of 360 MW &amp; 100 MW, respectively.</p>
<p>For <strong>the best-engineered project</strong>, <a href="https://www.ntpc.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NTPC</a> was declared the winner for its 100 MW floating solar project in Ramagundam in Telangana. The project was installed in the NTPC Ramagundam thermal station reservoir, where the 100 MW floating solar system was installed on a 600-acre water body. As of December 2021, 37.5 MW had been commissioned. The project resulted in higher generation due to the cooling effect on the modules, utilization of the water body and saving of scarce land resources, reduced water loss due to evaporation and saving greenhouse gas emissions.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.amp.energy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amp Energy</a> was declared the winner in <strong>the best commercial and industrial (ground-mounted) project category</strong>. It commissioned a 75 MW solar open access project in Karnataka in FY 2022. This is Amp Energy&#8217;s third successive open access project in Karnataka, taking its total operating portfolio to over 135 MW in the state. This 75 MW project serves four marquee customers &#8212; Bosch, GE BE, Federal-Mogul, and Ashirvad Pipes.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hfmsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HFM Solar</a> and <a href="https://goldisolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Goldi Solar</a> were the joint winners in the <strong>best commercial and industrial (rooftop) category</strong>. HFM Solar installed the 1.5 MW project on curvy Sheds, which required excellent engineering. The time slot for the project execution was minimal as the metro stations were fully operational.</p>
<p>Goldi Solar installed a 116 kW rooftop solar system at Sardardham. Goldi Solar equipped the building with 320 solar panels that generate 116 KW and will last for 25+ years. This project is unique because the panels capture sun rays from all directions and generate 170,000 units of power annually. The community center was built with the vision of helping ignite young minds through quality education and encouraging them to serve the nation.</p>
<p><a href="https://amplussolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Amplus Solar</a> won the award for <strong>the best residential project</strong>. Atrium, from HomeScape by Amplus Solar, is a designer edition solar pergola. It addresses the client&#8217;s wish for an aesthetic corner that is also sustainable. The bifacial modules enhance the overall appeal of the structure and make energy generation more efficient. The project was completed in just seven days.</p>
<p>In the <strong>best off-grid project category</strong>, <a href="https://huskpowersystems.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Husk Power</a> was declared the winner. Husk Power&#8217;s solar hybrid microgrid in Aurai village, one of more than 120 net-zero microgrids owned and operated by the company in rural North and  East India, is providing clean and reliable energy to the village community.</p>
<p><a href="https://ciel-et-terre.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ciel et Terre solar</a> was declared the winner for its Hydrelio floating solar technology in the <strong>best innovation categor</strong><strong>y</strong>. Hydrelio is a patented floating solar technology used in the 73.34 MW NTPC floating solar project, which is India&#8217;s largest floating solar project commissioned in June 2022. Hydrelio is a technology that has been commercially implemented in more than 300 MW projects across the globe. The Hydrelio Air product is a registered patent product from Ciel et Terre International France.</p>
<p>In the <strong>deal of the year (strategic)</strong> category, <a href="https://www.ril.com/OurBusinesses/New-Energy.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reliance New Energy Solar</a> was declared the winner. Reliance New Energy Solar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/reliance-acquires-rec-solar-holding/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquired</a> REC Solar Holdings from China National Bluestar Group for $771 million. The acquisition will help Reliance with a ready global platform and opportunity to expand globally in key green energy markets, including in the US, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere in Asia.</p>
<p>Adani Green Energy was declared the winner in the <strong>deal of the year (financial) category</strong>. Adani Green Energy <a href="https://mercomindia.com/adani-green-secures-1-35-billion-debt-financing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> a $1.35 billion (~₹97.93 billion) debt package for its under-construction renewable asset portfolio. The company signed definitive agreements with international lenders. The finance facility would initially finance 1.69 GW of solar-wind hybrid projects being set up in Rajasthan. It is one of the largest revolving project financing deals in the renewable sector in Asia.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn">
<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Mercom India Solar Awards 2022 Announced for Ten Categories


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/amazon_polly_38934.mp3?version=1659596136">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>Wind-Solar hybrid projects have been hailed as the most viable option to manage intermittency issues faced by standalone wind and solar power sources.</p>
<p>India has approximately 1.3 GW of solar capacity installed under hybrid power projects and about 11 GW in the pipeline across the country.</p>
<p>Hybrid projects go a long way in optimizing land and transmission systems and providing a longer-duration power supply.</p>
<p>States like Rajasthan, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana have seen the most hybrid project developments. While other states are slowly picking up on the pace for hybrid projects, the segment has a lot of ground to cover.</p>
<p>The Mercom India Solar Summit 2022, being held on July 28-29 in New Delhi, dedicated a session to discuss issues relating to hybrid projects.</p>
<p>Titled ‘Potential of Hybrid Projects in India,’ the session had panelists Rajesh Prabhakar Zoldeo, Chief Commercial Officer, <a href="https://www.sembcorp.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sembcorp</a>; and Mithun Dubey, VP Sales Renewables, <a href="http://www.reconnectenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ReConnect Energy</a>, discussing the potential of wind-solar projects in India, policies required to boost their deployment, and the challenges.</p>
<p>Priya Sanjay, Managing Director, Mercom India, moderated the session.</p>
<p><strong>Easier integration</strong></p>
<p>Zoldeo believes that people have become more cost-sensitive with the evolution of the renewable energy sector. “With grid integration in focus, everyone is asking for the actual price of renewable energy projects. With hybrid, once the wind is added and storage, many questions about standalone projects are answered. DISCOMs prefer hybrid projects as they are easy to integrate into the grid. Hybrid provides a better solution for consumers who wish to acquire power through ISTS, where no banking is allowed. C&amp;I consumers are slowly moving towards renewable power as it helps them with their ESG and RE Power targets. Also, with round-the-clock renewable energy options through hybrid, it becomes very economical. “</p>
<p>Dubey said forecasting power is easy with hybrid projects. “Forecasting is needed for generation, demand, and consumption. The need of the hour is forecasting for better grid correctability. The accuracy of the hybrid projects versus standalone wind or solar is better because of the minimum deviation. The regulations in India stress more on grid stability, and with the DSM regulations in place, this has become more stringent. The forecasting has been more accurate in the last few years with more data interventions by independent power producers and original equipment manufacturers. This also depends on whether the projects are co-located or separate.”</p>
<p><strong>Challenges with Hybrid Projects</strong></p>
<p>Zoldeo opined that the issues with hybrid and standalone wind and solar projects were the same. “Issues like land availability and connectivity remain the same through all the power projects. There are certain states like Rajasthan, where solar generation is better than wind, and Karnataka, where wind generation is better than solar. This makes it difficult to co-locate the projects. Also, with wind energy, forecasting remains challenging, leading to under-injection. This leads to generators paying four times the penalty for not meeting the forecasted injection. With hybrid, it is always a risk as consumers expect 100% predictable power. Over time, we have faced curtailment issues with our projects across different states. Setting up connectivity for these projects also remains challenging, but with the ISTS waiver, this challenge can be easily addressed.”</p>
<p>Addressing the forecasting issues regarding wind energy, Dubey said, “IPPs are now working on multiple layers even before participating in the project, where they analyze the data beforehand. Wind energy especially has been sporadic over the last few years and can be addressed only with the help of more data interventions.”</p>
<p><strong>The way forward</strong></p>
<p>Zoldeo welcomed the recent notification, which extended the time for wind project commissioning to 24 months. “The regulation was much needed, as it is easy when it comes to solar, but with wind, where we have to procure the heavy wind turbines and then set up evacuation for the Energy generated, it takes more than 18 months. In addition, setting up new substations for these projects also takes a lot of time. The benefit of hybrid is that in places where more wind energy is generated, it can be traded at exchanges. So it works in favor of the developer when hybrid projects are not co-located. “</p>
<p>Dubey said, “We as a team are collecting data, forecasting the Energy, and then consulting with the dispatch centres to help maintain the grid stability. We have also started with weather forecasting and operational interventions that help hybrid projects. We have set up REMCs (Renewable Energy Management Centres), which help boost the RE generation by providing data to agencies like the dispatch centres and POSOCO, who fix issues depending on the forecast of REMCs, making hybrid projects more efficient through the grid.”</p>
<p>The Mercom India Solar Summit will cover topics such as manufacturing, technological innovations, solar for C&amp;I, large-scale solar development, and sector financing on Day 2 on July 29.</p>
<p>You can register for the Day 2 of the event <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/register/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/satish-shetty/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Satish Shetty</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Satish-pic-1.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Satish Shetty,</strong> Associate Editor at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/satish-shetty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Satish Shetty.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn"><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Satish-pic-1.jpg" width="102" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/satish-shetty/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Satish Shetty</strong></a> is an Associate Editor with Mercom India. Prior to Mercom, Satish was a multimedia news producer at Reuters, where he gained experience in digital news media. Satish has his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Broadcast Journalism from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, Malaysia.<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/satish-shetty/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Satish Shetty.</a></div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Wind-Solar Hybrid Projects Play a Vital Role in Maintaining Grid Stability


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/amazon_polly_38931.mp3?version=1659595950">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>The Indian government is doing its best to boost domestic manufacturing under the &#8216;Aatmanirbhar Bharat&#8217; initiative.</p>
<p>In April last year, the Union Cabinet <a href="https://mercomindia.com/production-linked-incentive-solar-modules-approved/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved </a>the production-linked incentive (PLI) program to push gigawatt-scale manufacturing of high-efficiency solar photovoltaic modules with an outlay of ₹45 billion (~$605 million). The budget was <a href="https://mercomindia.com/budget-2022-module-manufacturing-%e2%82%b9195-billion-pli-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> to $240 billion (~$3.03 billion). The general perception is that this program <a href="https://mercomindia.com/pli-program-good-for-large-manufacturers-msmes-left-out/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">benefits</a> bigger manufacturers than smaller ones.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://mercomindia.com/research-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Research</a>, India has a manufacturing capacity of 4.5 GW for solar cells and 24 GW for modules. Manufacturers operating below 100 MW have old technologies operating totaling 6 GW. Considering the recently auctioned 8.7 GW of vertically integrated module capacity under the PLI program and expansions outside the PLI program, India can expect about 40 GW of module production by 2024.</p>
<p>In addition to the PLI program, implementing the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) and the Approved List of models and Manufacturers (ALMM) list are significant steps in boosting domestic manufacturing and making it competitive.</p>
<p>Currently, there are around 57 GW of solar projects under various stages of development and around 37 GW of projects tendered and pending auction, which points to the opportunity it presents for the domestic manufacturing segment.</p>
<p>The landed cost of solar modules has increased since BCD was effective on April 01, 2022. There has also been a rise in the prices of other components.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Solar Summit 2022</a>, being held on July 28-29 in New Delhi, dedicated a session to discuss domestic manufacturing titled &#8216;<strong>Solar Manufacturing-Meeting Demand and Price Expectations</strong>.&#8217;</p>
<p>The panelists were Avinash Hiranandani<strong>, </strong>Global CEO &amp; MD, <a href="https://www.renewsysworld.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RenewSys</a>; Ivan Saha, CEO, <a href="https://www.vikramsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vikram Solar</a>; Gaurav Sood<strong>, </strong>CEO, <a href="https://sprngenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sprng Energy</a>; and Anurag Garg<strong>, </strong>COO Solar Business, <a href="https://www.jakson.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jakson</a>. Priya Sanjay, Managing Director, moderated the session.</p>
<p><strong>Demand-supply gap</strong></p>
<p>Speaking on the demand side and the capability of domestic manufacturers to meet the demand for modules, Avinash Hiranandani said that the manufacturers were well-equipped to meet the growing demand. &#8220;Currently, we have 3 GW of EVA capacity and 4GW of backsheet capacity. The glass plus transparent backsheets are also competitive and can compete with the glass-glass backsheets. Technology changes every two years, making it difficult for manufacturers to cope.&#8221;</p>
<p>Anurag Garg said, &#8220;Jakson had a capacity of only 80 MW. Quality has never been an issue with domestic manufacturing. It is the technology that has pegged the Indian manufacturers back. There is a demand-supply gap, and we should think about bridging this gap.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Challenges for domestic manufacturers</strong></p>
<p>With the imposition of BCD, domestic manufacturers in the special economic zones (SEZs) are having a tough time. Many stakeholders believe the duty would spell the death knell for SEZ manufacturing units.</p>
<p>&#8220;The manufacturing units in SEZs have been at the receiving end of the imposition of the BCD. Another challenge is the supply chain disruption. It becomes difficult to expand capacity if the supply chain for building modules is not in place. Also, policy uncertainty is affecting the manufacturing business. Our products are indeed more expensive than the Chinese products, but we need time to scale up, and it will happen,&#8221; said Hiranandani.</p>
<p>&#8220;The manufacturing industry is ramping up, and there&#8217;s no denying that we&#8217;ll be in good shape in the coming years. Regarding the timing of BCD implementation, we can say that the imposition of 25% BCD on solar cells is not such a great thing as the duty was put in place even before the ramping up of the solar cell manufacturing capacity,&#8221; he added.</p>
<p>Gaurav Sood said, &#8220;Now, the duties have been imposed, which will significantly impact the 280 GW solar target set by the government. The government should assess where it is leading everyone two years down the line. Currently, there is limited standalone cell manufacturing capacity in the country.&#8221;</p>
<p>Ivan Saha agreed. &#8221; The expansion of manufacturing capacity is difficult because of the difficulty in various parts of the supply chain. Not everyone can scale the technology as it keeps changing every two to three years, which would cost a lot of money. We should start with polysilicon, wafers, solar cells, and then modules. This is the way to go. We should have the whole ecosystem in place. The polysilicon value chain will not develop on its own, and it would require big investments.&#8221;</p>
<p>Saha pointed out that it took China ten years to show the kind of maturity it is showing now, and it will take India five to seven years to reach the same level of maturity.</p>
<p>At least 90% of cells are imported from China, increasing the project&#8217;s cost. In the last six months, a 15% duty has been imposed on various components, and polysilicon prices have also increased, which is not good for the developers.</p>
<p>&#8220;Another challenge is the technological advancements that are taking place. To keep pace with technology, we have to spend a lot of money which is impossible for everyone. The important thing is that we should concentrate on technologies that don&#8217;t become obsolete in two to three years, thus making it for domestic manufacturers to move forward,&#8221; added Garg.</p>
<p>&#8220;As developers, we always look to make the sector competitive, or we will struggle. Meeting the target of 280 GW by 2030 is a tall order. Even achieving 70% of the target will be a significant achievement,&#8221; Sood noted.</p>
<p>Saha said that the government&#8217;s intentions are very clear. It&#8217;s the implementation of policies that is the main impediment.</p>
<p>Saha said, &#8220;If there&#8217;s uncertainty, everyone gets caught up in between. The import of manufacturing equipment from China is also a big challenge. Also, getting the right workforce for equipment installation needs attention.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Collaboration the key</strong></p>
<p>Saha highlighted the need for collaboration between various agencies: &#8220;States also need to play their part in this. They should collaborate closely with the center. There&#8217;s a need for the federal push to increase. Manufacturers and developers should also collaborate with each other. Right now, they are going in opposite directions, which is not a good thing. Risk management, collaboration, and trust are essential for things to move forward and help the country in achieving the 2030 target.&#8221;</p>
<p>Sood said, &#8220;It is a learning curve for everyone. The situation is very challenging if the polysilicon prices don&#8217;t decrease. I think the next two to three years will be really difficult for developers as well as manufacturers.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;The government is doing its bit, but things need to move faster. It&#8217;s not about the quality. There is also a need to set up manufacturing units for ancillaries. In the PLI program also, there is no incentive for ancillaries. Manufacturing units for glass and backsheets require huge investments. Support is required for the whole manufacturing ecosystem,&#8221; Garg said.</p>
<p>The Mercom India Solar Summit will continue on Day 2 on July 29, 2022, covering various topics like manufacturing, technological innovations, solar for C&amp;I, large-scale solar development, and financing of solar projects.</p>
<p>You can register for the event <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/register/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn">
<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Domestic Manufacturing Segment Ready to Meet Country’s Growing Solar Needs


					<table id="amazon-polly-audio-table">
						<tr>
						<td id="amazon-polly-audio-tab">
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-label">Listen to this article</div>
							<div id="amazon-ai-player-container">
			<audio class="amazon-ai-player" id="amazon-ai-player" preload="none" controls   controlsList="nodownload" >
				<source type="audio/mpeg" src="http://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/amazon_polly_37989.mp3?version=1658206343">
			</audio>
		</div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-subscribe-tab"></div>
							<div id="amazon-polly-by-tab"></div>
						</td>
						</tr>
					</table><p>India <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-solar-installations-rise-q1-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installed</a> over 3 GW of solar capacity in the first quarter (Q1) of the calendar year (CY) 2022.</p>
<p>According to Mercom&#8217;s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/q1-2022-india-solar-market-update/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2022 India Solar Market Update</a>, large-scale installations increased 53% year-over-year.</p>
<p>The country has a utility-scale projects development pipeline of over 54 GW. Another 33 GW of projects tendered are awaiting auction.</p>
<p>India had its best year for solar in 2021 with 10 GW of new solar capacity added. According to <a href="https://mercomindia.com/research-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom Research</a>, solar installations in 2022 are expected to surpass last year.</p>
<p>The future looks bright for the solar sector in India, mainly driven by utility-scale projects.</p>
<p>Mercom is hosting &#8216;<a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/register/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mercom India Solar Summit 2022</strong></a><strong>,&#8217;</strong> an exclusive event hosting important stakeholders across the solar sector on <strong>July 28-29</strong>.</p>
<p>The summit will address critical issues, opportunities, and emerging trends in the industry, including the government&#8217;s push for local manufacturing, its aggressive solar installation goal of 280 GW by 2030, supply chains, technology, financing, and other critical issues.</p>
<p>In one of the sessions titled &#8216;<strong>Large-Scale Solar Project Development – Keeping the Engine on Track,&#8217; </strong>scheduled for <strong>July 29, 2022</strong>, panelists will discuss the current scenario, steps to mitigate risks, policies, and plans to remove large-scale project development hurdles, which include supply chain constraints, rising prices, and land and transmission issues. Additionally, the developers are wading through basic customs duties on imports, increases in GST rates, and transmission infrastructure delays in Rajasthan</p>
<p>The panelists will include, Dilip Nigam, Adviser, <a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>; Pradeep Kumar, Managing Director, <a href="https://www.longi.com/in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LONGi Solar India</a>; and Sandeep Kashyap, COO, Solar Business, <a href="https://www.acme.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ACME Group</a>, Saurabh Mehta, Head (BD &amp; Project) at Mahindra Susten. Priya Sanjay, Managing Director, Mercom India, will moderate the session.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-38007" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-scaled.jpg" alt="Mercom Solar Summit" width="2560" height="1344" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-300x158.jpg 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-2000x1050.jpg 2000w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-768x403.jpg 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-1536x806.jpg 1536w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-2048x1075.jpg 2048w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-650x341.jpg 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-624x328.jpg 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/imgpsh_fullsize_anim-600x315.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px" /></a></p>
<p>Recently India <a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-installations-india-reach-50-gw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed</a> the 50 GW milestone, which comprised 43 GW of utility-scale solar and 7 GW of rooftop solar. As things are moving, the target of 60 GW of large-scale solar <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-needs-14-gw-to-meet-the-60-gw-by-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">installations</a> by 2022 looks within reach, which will boost the country&#8217;s efforts to reach 280 GW of solar installations by 2030.</p>
<p>You can register for the event <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/register/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
<div class="authorboxn">
<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
</div>
</div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

mercom-india-solar-summit-2022

Get the most relevant India solar and clean energy news.

RECENT POSTS