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As ISTS Waiver Nears End, Developers Need Extension Amid Lack of Substations


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					</table><p>India achieved a record-breaking annual installation of solar open access, adding 3.2 GW, in the calendar year (CY) 2023, a marginal increase from the 3 GW installed in the previous year, according to the recently published <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q4-2023-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2023 Q4 &amp; Annual Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report</a>.</p>
<p>The exclusion of open-access solar projects from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) order&#8217;s mandate, coupled with decreasing module prices, pushed commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) consumers into accelerating their pending projects and entering into power purchase agreements.</p>
<p>Lower system costs, supportive policies like the implementation of Green Energy Open Access Rules in various states, and the lure of potential energy cost savings led to sustained growth in solar open access installations in 2023.</p>
<p>Priya Sanjay, Managing Director of Mercom India, said, &#8220;The exemption from ALMM, combined with a significant reduction in module prices, presents a strong incentive for renewable adoption. This substantial cost decrease not only fosters a favorable environment for existing players but also holds the potential to attract C&amp;I consumers who are indecisive. We anticipate a robust market with sustained growth in 2024.”</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-64116 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1.png" alt="" width="1017" height="582" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1.png 1017w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1-300x172.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1-768x440.png 768w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1-650x372.png 650w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1-624x357.png 624w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/1-600x343.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1017px) 100vw, 1017px" /></p>
<p>Karnataka emerged as the frontrunner among the states, commanding a substantial 27.9% share of open-access solar capacity in 2023. Gujarat and Maharashtra followed with 16.4% and 16.2% shares, respectively.</p>
<p>The top five states collectively dominated the landscape, accounting for 84.1% of the total installations for the year.</p>
<p>According to Priya Sanjay, Karnataka&#8217;s conducive regulations, robust policy framework, disciplined DISCOMs, and vibrant industrial landscape, notably the expansive IT sector, drive substantial demand for open-access solar installations. &#8220;With companies embracing net-zero targets, there is consistent strong demand and impressive consumer offtake.&#8221;</p>
<p>In states like Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, a lack of awareness and state-specific hurdles are restricting the pace of open-access adoption.</p>
<p>On the other hand, industries with substantial carbon footprint, such as steel and cement, are driving a surge in demand for megawatt-scale power. The shift is not only towards standalone wind or solar but also round-the-clock renewables.</p>
<p>&#8220;Polluting sectors like aluminum, steel, cement, and iron are not only driven by domestic demand but also facing international pressure. With the introduction of CBAM in Europe mandating green practices, Indian companies exporting to these regions are compelled to report their carbon footprint. This regulatory shift is expected to generate a substantial increase in demand as industries adapt to global sustainability standards,&#8221; opined Priya Sanjay.</p>
<p>India witnessed a 22.8% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) decline in open-access solar installations, totaling 831.2 MW in Q4 2023. However, this reflects a 6.2% YoY growth from the 782.5 MW recorded in Q4 2022.</p>
<p>The dip in QoQ installations can be attributed to lower PPA prices, leading to increased capacity additions YoY. Notably, developers completing projects in Q3 and signing new PPAs in Q4 are expected to drive a surge in capacity additions in the coming quarters.</p>
<p>As of December 2023, the cumulative installed solar capacity in the open access segment reached 12.2 GW.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-64117 size-full" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-1.png" alt="" width="617" height="540" srcset="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-1.png 617w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-1-300x263.png 300w, https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2-1-600x525.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 617px) 100vw, 617px" /></p>
<p>Karnataka maintained its lead among states, contributing 33.1% to the country&#8217;s cumulative installations, followed by Maharashtra (13.5%) and Tamil Nadu (11.4%). The top five states collectively accounted for 72.2% of the nation&#8217;s cumulative open-access solar installations by the end of December 2023.</p>
<p>India had around 13.9 GW of projects under development and in the pre-construction phase at the end of Q4 2023.</p>
<p>In an encouraging development for open access projects, developers now have the alternative of proactively building projects ready for immediate renewable power supply. This transformative approach is expected to instill confidence in consumers, as they can secure power from projects that are already operational.</p>
<p>The &#8220;Q4 2023 Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report&#8221; report is 85 pages long and covers vital information and data on the market. For the complete report, visit: <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q4-2023-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q4-2023-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report</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/gautamee-hazarika/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Gautamee Hazarika</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
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<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Gautamee,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
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<a href="gautamee@mercomindia.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gautamee@mercomindia.com</a></p>
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<div class="authorboxn"><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Picture1.jpg" width="102" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gautamee-hazarika/" rel="noopener">Gautamee</a> is a reporter at Mercom India. Prior to Mercom, Gautamee was working as a multimedia news journalist at ThePrint in New Delhi. She has received her Bachelors in English Honors and Masters in English Literature from St.Stephen&#8217;s College, University of Delhi.<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/gautamee-hazarika/" rel="noopener">More articles from Gautamee</a></div>
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India’s Open Access Solar Sustains Growth Momentum in 2023, Adding 3.2 GW


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					</table><p>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) has kept in abeyance its recent order reimposing the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers regulation from April 1, 2024.</p>
<p>On February 9, 2024, the ministry <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/almm-reimposed-exempt-open-access-solar-projects-advanced-stages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> the reimposition of ALMM with exemptions for projects set up under open access solar and those in advanced stages of construction and rooftop solar projects with no subsidy.</p>
<p>The MNRE has specified that the ALMM regulation will be relaxed for solar projects in advanced stages of construction that have placed module orders before March 31, 2024. Whether the project is in the advanced stages of construction and if the irrevocable LC has been opened before March 31, 2024, was to be subject to verification.</p>
<p>Following the announcement, many stakeholders <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/almm-exemptions-leave-solar-industry-guessing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised</a> questions on the ambiguity around the definition of ‘advanced stages of construction,’ the phrase used by the MNRE in the notification reviving the ALMM mandate.</p>
<p>The ministry, in the earlier order, had stated that ALMM would apply to all government-subsidized projects, projects set up for consumption by the government and its agencies or distribution companies.</p>
<p>The announcement was taken off the website following concerns raised by stakeholders.</p>
<p>The MNRE has now stated that the previous order will stay in abeyance till further orders are issued.</p>
<p>The industry is expecting the government to issue further clarifications around the ALMM regulation and issue detailed guidelines for the exemptions.</p>
<p>Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group, had previously stated that the ALMM reimposition announced in haste without any clear guidelines might lead to many projects being bogged down with petitions and disputes.</p>
<p>Just last month, the MNRE <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-adds-new-solar-module-capacity-almm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expanded</a> the ALMM by adding 64 MW of new solar module capacity, bringing the cumulative module manufacturing capacity to 22,191 MW. The list now has 72 module manufacturers.</p>
<p>Subscribe to our real-time <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/mercoms-renewable-energy-regulatory-updates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Regulatory Updates</a> to ensure you never miss any critical updates from the renewable energy industry.</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">
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<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Satish Shetty,</strong> Associate Editor at Mercom India<br />
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<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 />
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MNRE Holds the ALMM Reimposition Order in Abeyance


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					</table><p>The Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) regulation will be back in force from April 1, 2024, with <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/almm-reimposed-exempt-open-access-solar-projects-advanced-stages" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exemptions</a> for projects set up under open access solar and those in advanced stages of construction and rooftop solar projects with no subsidy.</p>
<p>Most stakeholders, however, have raised questions on the ambiguity around the definition of ‘advanced stages of construction,’ the phrase used by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) in the notification reviving the ALMM mandate.</p>
<p>The MNRE has specified that the ALMM regulation will be relaxed for solar projects in advanced stages of construction that have placed module orders before March 31, 2024.</p>
<p>A senior executive from a public sector undertaking said, “We think advanced stages might mean where the balance of systems (BoS) work is complete and only about six months are pending for the project to be commissioned. But all this is very subjective at the moment, and if the government does not issue a clarification, we will have to take a call on a case-by-case basis.&#8221;</p>
<p>Most solar project developers that Mercom spoke to suggest that the advanced stages of construction would mean that land procurement is done, BoS is ready, module order is placed, and connectivity approvals are in place.</p>
<p>The ALMM notification has since been removed from the MNRE website. Stakeholders hope a new notification with more clarity will be issued.</p>
<p>A utility-scale solar project developer said, “The projects that are supposed to come online in 2024 are expected to have early commissioning. With the advanced stages clause, a lot of capacity additions are expected to come online this year. Developers must ensure that adequate power evacuation facility is available for this purpose.”</p>
<p>He feels that in case of delays in the signing of power sale agreements for such projects that are commissioned early, developers will have to plan short-term arrangements and supply power through power exchanges.</p>
<p>Another project developer felt that the ALMM implementation from April 1, 2024, would definitely impact projects where tariffs were quoted based on the imported module prices as compared to prices of locally procured ones.</p>
<p>He said, “We might see many projects approaching the regulators for a revision in prices.”</p>
<p>An India-based solar module manufacturer said, “There is uncertainty about the advanced stages clause. We are looking for a clarification from MNRE. Currently, the market is divided between domestic and overseas players, so the prices will be more competitive. Our company is focusing on venturing into the export market in the U.S. and other countries in Europe.”</p>
<p><strong>The Open Access Exemption</strong></p>
<p>According to Mercom India’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q3-2023-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q3 2023 Solar Open Access Market Report</a>, as of September 2023, open access solar project installations constituted ~19% of the total large-scale projects in the country. The open access solar pipeline stood at over 12 GW at the end of the third quarter of 2023.</p>
<p>The exemption for open access solar has come as a relief for overseas module suppliers, with the March 31 deadline not far away.</p>
<p>A solar project developer believes that open access project developers, who have recently stocked on imported modules, would be looking to execute more captive projects.</p>
<p>He said, “This is definitely good news for open access solar projects as it will encourage more installations in the country by private parties. We did hope for the ALMM to be extended for one or two more years. The domestic module manufacturers in India have the option to export to a bigger market, such as the U.S., so they don’t have to settle for lower costs. We could have kept the ALMM exemption in place until there is sufficient manufacturing capacity available.”</p>
<p>With the government now encouraging more states to implement Green Energy Open Access Rules and the commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) segment opting for the open access model to transition businesses to solar, the ALMM exemption is a big positive.</p>
<p><strong>Unsubsidized Rooftop Solar Projects Exempted</strong></p>
<p>The regulation will also exempt rooftop solar projects sans government subsidies. This will effectively exempt the C&amp;I  segment rooftop solar installation from the ALMM mandate.</p>
<p>According to Mercom India’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/rooftop-solar-market-report-q3-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q3 2023 Rooftop Solar Market Report</a>, the C&amp;I rooftop solar installations constituted 68% of the total rooftop solar installations in the country.</p>
<p>With the central agencies now shifting focus to residential rooftop solar installations with various programs, C&amp;I rooftop solar is expected to gain traction from private installers.</p>
<p>While the ALMM exemptions have definitely brought cheer to most sections of the industry, MNRE would do well to put their doubts to rest so that the implementation of the regulation is smooth.</p>
<p>“The ALMM reimposition has been announced in haste, without clear guidelines, which we expect to be rectified soon. If this policy is left to interpretation, as other policies have in the past, many projects will get bogged down with petitions and disputes. Hopefully, the government has meticulously thought through every detail in order to minimize disruptions and delays in installations and avoid potential shortages and price increases on the supply side,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.</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>
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<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 />
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ALMM Reimposition and Exemptions Leave the Solar Industry Guessing


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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-open-installations-added-in-q3-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India saw a surge in solar open access installations with the addition of 907 MW in the third quarter of 2023, a 36.1% increase over 666 MW in the previous quarter</strong></a>, according to the recently published Q3 2023 Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report. The installations showed a growth of 20.6% from the 752 MW installed in the same quarter in 2022. Maharashtra added the most capacity (26.5%), followed by Karnataka (20.3%) and Tamil Nadu (19.5%). The top five states collectively accounted for 88.5% of the installations during the quarter. As of September 2023, the country’s total open-access solar capacity reached 11 GW.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/hpcl-invites-project-in-andhra-pradesh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hindustan Petroleum Corporation has invited bids to design, engineer, supply, construct, erect, test, and commission a 100 MW solar power project at Galiveedu village in the Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh</strong></a>. The scope of work also includes five years of operations and maintenance of the project. The last date for the submission of bids is December 15, 2023. The selected bidder must submit a security deposit equal to 1% of the total contract value within 15 days of receiving the acceptance notification for the tender.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/optimally-sizing-solar-inverters-achieve-higher-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mercom India will host a webinar on December 12, 2023, where industry experts will discuss the factors involved in optimally sizing solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters for diverse locations and temperatures</strong></a> and achieving higher performance. The webinar – Optimal Sizing of PV Inverters for Robust Performance in High Ambient Temperatures – will also cover the approaches that must be considered to achieve effective cost, efficiency, and reliability of solar inverters.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/himadri-set-up-li-ion-battery-plant-odisha" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mumbai-based Himadri Speciality Chemical is setting up a facility in Odisha to produce Lithium-ion Battery (LiB) components with a total annual production capacity of 200,000 MT</strong></a> and an estimated project cost of ₹48 billion (~$575.87 million) over a period of five to six years. This investment will be made largely from internal accruals and debt. The company aims to produce Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathode Active Material, catering to 100 GWh of LiB capacity by 2030. In phase I, the manufacturing capacity will be 40,000 MT, at an investment of ₹11.25 billion (~$134.94 million). Operations are scheduled to begin in the next 27 to 36 months.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/uniqus-acquires-its-esg-practice" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Uniqus Consultech has acquired Goodera’s global business that helps corporates manage their sustainability programs by automating the collection, maintenance, and approval of their ESG data</strong></a>. Uniqus, based in the U.S., India, and the Middle East, is a tech-enabled platform offering ESG accounting and reporting consulting. The acquisition, part of Uniqus’ strategy to integrate technology to address client needs, will strengthen its ESG practice and serve the $10 billion ESG market.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/masdar-acquires-1-gw-renewable-portfolio-poland" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar, along with Taaleri Energia, a Finland-based renewable energy developer, have acquired eight hybrid renewable energy projects in Poland</strong></a> with a combined capacity of 1 GW from Domrel Biuro Usług Inwestycyjnych. The projects are under construction and will deploy solar photovoltaic and onshore wind technologies. Once in operation, they are expected to power 223,000 households and offset 1.8 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. The parties did not disclose the acquisition amount.</p>
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Daily News Wrap-Up: Solar Open Access Installations Surge 21% YoY in Q3


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					</table><p>Here is a recap of important headlines from June 2023:</p>
<p><strong>India </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-open-access-installations-surge-68-q1-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>added</strong></a><strong> 518 MW of solar open access in the first quarter of 2023, marking a remarkable increase of more than 68% compared to the 308 MW installed in the fourth quarter of 2022.</strong> However, on a year-over-year basis, the installations declined by 37%. The numbers were revealed in the recently published <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2023-mercom-india-solar-open-access-market-report-518-mw-installed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2023 Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report</a>.</p>
<p><strong>In the first quarter of 2023, 485 MW of rooftop solar capacity was </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/india-installs-485-mw-of-rooftop-solar-6-4-yoy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>added</strong></a><strong>, up 0.4% compared to 483 MW in the fourth quarter of 2022. In a year-over-year comparison, installations were up 6.4%.</strong> The findings were published in Mercom India Research’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/rooftop-solar-market-report-q1-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2023 Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report</a>.</p>
<p><strong>The average cost of large-scale solar projects in the first quarter of 2023 </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/average-cost-large-scale-solar-down-first-time-11-quarters" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>decreased</strong></a><strong> by 5% quarter-over-quarter for the first time in 11 quarters due to a drop in module prices.</strong> The findings were published in Mercom India Research’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2023-india-solar-market-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2023 India Solar Market Quarterly Update</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Investments in the Indian solar sector in the first quarter of 2023 </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/investments-solar-sector-declined-171-yoy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>totaled</strong></a><strong> $1.03 billion (~₹85 billion), a 171% year-over-year decrease from $2.8 billion (~₹211 billion).</strong> Investments were down 37% quarter-over-quarter from $1.63 billion (~₹134 billion). The figures were revealed in Mercom India Research’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/q1-2023-india-solar-market-update" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Q1 2023 India Solar Market Quarterly Update</a>.</p>
<p><strong>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ministry-175-billion-program-green-hydrogen" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>released</strong></a><strong> a framework document outlining incentive programs for the manufacturing of electrolyzers and the production of green hydrogen</strong> within the country, with a combined financial outlay of ₹174.9 billion (~$2.1 billion). The framework document outlines two components of the incentive programs. Component I focuses on providing electrolyzer manufacturing incentives, with a financial outlay of ₹44.4 billion (~$541.2 million), and Component II aims to support Green Hydrogen production, with a substantial outlay of ₹130.5 billion (~$1.6 billion).<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/world-bank-loan-india-transition" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>approved</strong></a><strong> $1.5 billion in financing to accelerate the development of low-carbon energy in India by scaling-up green hydrogen projects</strong> and promoting climate finance for clean energy investments. The funding operation titled First Low-Carbon Energy Programmatic Development Policy Operation is the first in the series of investments by the World Bank to support India’s energy transition through 2070.</p>
<p><strong>The Ministry of Power </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/electricity-rules-remove-transmission-license-mandate" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>issued</strong></a><strong> the Draft Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2023, to introduce changes to the requirement of transmission licenses for captive and bulk power consumers</strong> and capping the additional surcharge for open access consumers at 50% of the wheeling charges. The amendments are expected to enhance the efficiency and transparency of the electricity sector.</p>
<p><strong>The Ministry of Power, in consultation with the Central Electricity Authority, </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/government-guidelines-resource-adequacy-framework" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>released</strong></a><strong> a set of guidelines to establish an institutional mechanism for resource adequacy</strong>, spanning from the national level down to the distribution companies. The guidelines are put in place to ensure the availability of resources at each level to meet the demand.<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/center-incentive-power-sector-reforms-fy24" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>earmarked</strong></a><strong> ₹1.43 trillion (~$17.4 billion) as financial incentives in the form of additional borrowing permissions for states</strong> undertaking various reforms in the power sector during the financial year (FY) 2023-24. Based on the recommendations of the Ministry of Power, the Ministry of Finance granted permission for reforms undertaken in FY 2021-22 and FY 2022-23 by 12 state governments.</p>
<p><strong>The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/world-bank-loans-himachal-pradesh-renewables" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>approved</strong></a><strong> a loan of $200 million to the Government of Himachal Pradesh to help the Indian state achieve its target of adding 10 GW of additional</strong> renewable energy capacity and introducing new reforms in its power sector. The loan provided under the World Bank’s Himachal Pradesh Power Sector Development Program will help the state government increase the share of renewables in its energy generation.</p>
<p><strong>In a recent office memorandum, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-targets-over-15000-phase-ii-of-biogas-program-for-fy24" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>allotted</strong></a><strong> physical targets to the biogas program implementing agencies for establishing small biogas projects</strong> under the Biogas Program Phase II for the fiscal year 2023-24. The year’s target is 15,205 biogas plants, with an additional 1,165 sanitary toilets linked to biogas plants.</p>
<p><strong>The Government of Andhra Pradesh </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/andhra-pradesh-green-hydrogen-green-ammonia-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>notified</strong></a><strong> the Green Hydrogen and Green Ammonia Policy-2023, targeting a production capacity of 0.5 million tons per annum (MTPA) of green hydrogen</strong> and 2 MTPA of green ammonia over the next five years. The policy would also help create 12,000 jobs per MTPA of green hydrogen produced and promote the setting up of green hydrogen and green ammonia-related equipment manufacturing facilities.</p>
<p><strong>Solar module manufacturer and EPC solutions provider Vikram Solar and renewable energy investors Phalanx Impact Partners and Das &amp; Co. </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/vikram-solar-to-invest-solar-manufacturing-units-in-the-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>announced</strong></a><strong> the formation of a joint venture</strong> called VSK Energy, which will invest up to $1.5 billion in developing vertically integrated solar manufacturing operations in the U.S.</p>
<p><strong>The Ministry of Power </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/rules-amended-bundling-renewables-thermal-hydropower" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>amended</strong></a><strong> the program for bundling renewables and storage with thermal and hydropower projects to allow the setting up of renewable energy projects not co-located</strong> in the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) tendering mode or through joint ventures. The amendments to the ‘Flexibility in Generation and Scheduling of Thermal and Hydropower Projects through Bundling with Renewable Energy and Storage Power’ program were issued after the Ministry received several requests to relax certain provisions.</p>
<p><strong>SafEarth, an India-based technology platform for renewable energy transition, </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/renewable-energy-safearth-secures-%e2%82%b935-million-funding" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>completed</strong></a><strong> a funding round of ₹35 million ($426,755) to support the company’s product development initiative</strong>s and expansion into new industrial belts across the country. Anthill Ventures, Third Derivative, and Mumbai Angels led the funding round.</p>
<p><strong>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-extends-solar-park-program-by-two-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>extended</strong></a><strong> the timeline for the ‘Development of Solar Parks and Ultra Mega Solar Power Projects’ program to March 31, 2026 (FY 2026)</strong> from the earlier FY 2024. The extended timeline does not involve any financial implications.</p>
<p><strong>Norway’s Climate Investment Fund, managed by Norfund and KLP, the largest pension company in Norway, through their joint venture KNI India, </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/norfund-klp-invests-enel-greens-wind-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>invested</strong></a><strong> approximately NOK 317 million</strong> <strong>(~$30 million)</strong> in equity capital and up to NOK 530 million (~$50 million) in loan guarantees for a 168 MW wind power project developed by Enel Green Power in Gujarat.</p>
<p><strong>Bengaluru-based Nithin Sai Renewables, a renewable subsidiary of Nithin Sai Constructions, </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/nithin-sai-renewables-solar-module-manufacturing" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>announced</strong></a><strong> its plans to build an automated solar module manufacturing line with a capacity of 500 MW.</strong> The company has placed an order for the equipment with turnkey solar production lines provider Mondragon Assembly. The advanced line will be specifically designed to produce higher-wattage modules featuring larger cut cells.</p>
<p><strong>Narmada Hydroelectric Development Corporation, a joint venture of NHPC and the Government of Madhya Pradesh, is set to </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/nhdc-invest-%e2%82%b942-billion-develop-525-mw-pumped-storage" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>construct</strong></a><strong> a 525 MW pumped storage project</strong> near Indira Sagar Dam, Khandwa, to help manage the state’s peak energy demand. The project will be developed using the existing Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar reservoirs and generate 1,226.93 million units of energy during peak hours.</p>
<p><strong>Amp Energy India, an integrated renewable energy power producer, </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/amp-energy-india-expand-renewable-portfolio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>secured</strong></a><strong> up to $250 million in funding.</strong> The financing round was led by the Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation of Japan, the Intermediate Capital Group, and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.</p>
<p><strong>82Volt, an electric vehicle (EV) charging tech start-up, recently </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ev-charging-%e2%82%b950-million-in-seed-funding" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>concluded</strong></a><strong> its seed funding round, raising an amount of ₹50 million (~$606,908) from angel investors.</strong> With the infusion of fresh capital from the seed funding round, the start-up aims to rapidly expand its installation capacity to 100 chargers within the next two months through its channel partners.</p>
<p><strong>Gujarat-based power company Torrent Power </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/torrent-power-6-billion-non-convertible-debentures" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>raised</strong></a><strong> ₹6 billion (~$72.7 million) through the issuance of non-convertible debentures on a private placement basis.</strong> The company issued and allotted 60,000 Series 11 (series 11A- 11F) Secured, Rated, Listed, Taxable, Non-Cumulative, Redeemable, and Non-Convertible Debentures of ₹100,000 each (~$1,212).</p>
<p><strong>Mumbai-based renewable energy company CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions successfully </strong><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/cleanmax-360-million-funding-expand-ci-portfolio" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>concluded</strong></a><strong> an equity fund raise of approximately $360 million from Brookfield Renewable</strong>, facilitated through the Brookfield Global Transition Fund. It will provide CleanMax with the necessary capital to pursue its ambitious growth plans to become a platform exceeding 5 GW within three to four years.</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>
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<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>
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Month in a Minute: Top Headlines from Indian Renewable Sector in June 2023 


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					</table><p>Initially launched as a non-discriminatory provision to promote other businesses to enter the power sector other than distribution companies (DISCOMs), open access is now seen as the key contributor to India’s renewable energy target for 2030.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-open-access-market-report-q1-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q1 2022</a>, India <a href="https://mercomindia.com/open-access-installations-rise-to-513-mw-q1-2022/">added</a> 513 MW of new open access solar capacity during the first quarter, recording a 22% year-over-year growth.</p>
<p>There is considerable demand for open access solar from the commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) segment, considering the options available for power procurement.</p>
<p>It has helped generators and consumers to negotiate power purchase agreements depending on the requirements rather than agreeing to a fixed tariff.</p>
<p>Mercom India recently hosted the C&amp;I Clean Energy Meet 2022 in Bengaluru, bringing together open access solar experts and C&amp;I end-users to discuss the benefits and challenges in the segment.</p>
<p>The panel of experts included Rakesh Garg, Co-founder of <a href="https://www.o2power.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">O2 Power</a>; Prashant Choubey, Senior Executive Vice President for Business Development and Human Resources at <a href="https://avaadaenergy.com/">Avaada</a>; Ramakrishnan Subramanian, Head of Business Development at <a href="https://www.vibrantenergyholdings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vibrant Energy</a>; Ashok Kumar, Manager – ESG at <a href="https://www.narayanahealth.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Narayana Health</a> and Arijit Mitra, Deputy General Manager at <a href="https://www.longi.com/in/">LONGi Solar</a>.</p>
<p>Priya Sanjay, Managing Director of Mercom India, moderated the session.</p>
<p><strong>Advantages of Open Access Solar </strong></p>
<p>Elaborating on the benefits of open access solar for businesses, Garg said, “Open access provides consumers the flexibility of purchasing power at much better prices from within the state and outside. We have seen a trend with the DISCOMs where they have been increasing the energy prices over the years, especially in the C&amp;I sector. Consumers choose open access as it helps cut down the energy cost by more than half and contribute to the environment by reducing emissions. The energy tariffs for industries are about ₹8 to ₹9 (~$0.10 to $0.11)/kWh. For commercial establishments, it is ₹10 to ₹12 (~$0.13 to $0.15)/kWh. In contrast, the green power tariffs range between ₹3 and ₹4 (~$0.04 to $0.05)/kWh, ensuring maximum savings.”</p>
<p>Choubey said, “Open access was introduced in 2003, as non-discriminatory access to power, removing the complete reliance on DISCOMs for the energy requirements. As the country and the world transition to renewables for energy needs, it won’t stay a choice anymore. With module prices increasing every day, consumers who opted for it earlier are happier as they aren’t paying the high price as the consumers joining the bandwagon now or the ones who plan to join later. And if the population like ours in India commits to net zero, the contribution towards saving the environment will be much bigger. With more new businesses moving into the country, it is even more vital to make energy consumption green and efficient.”</p>
<p>Subramanian believes that open access is the most viable option for any business which consumes power of 1 MW. and above. “Open access is an easier method for consumers to get green attributes and energy savings. Consumers who understand the rooftop limitations and have higher energy demands opt for open access. Now that industries are trying to deal with the energy shortage caused by geopolitical turmoil, most industries are opting for open access as the most viable option for energy supply. Corporates wanting to cut down on energy costs and deal with the power outages are switching to renewables and steadily making the shift. Open access also provides the ease in negotiating the contracts, as there is no site study required. Consumers must identify their power requirements and can manage the contracts online. Using offsite renewable energy solutions helps reduce carbon emissions considerably.”</p>
<p>Kumar spoke of his organization&#8217;s huge savings by switching to open access for their energy needs. He said, “At Narayana Health, we provide affordable health care services to our patients. We can do that by ensuring optimal operational cost &#8211; our main motivation to go renewable. The other reason was the Green Energy promotions done by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ensuring all businesses contribute towards the environment by following the ESG guidelines. We have a total of 18 hospitals across the country, five of which are in Karnataka; we are working towards consuming 95% of our energy through the captive solar option. We also have heat pumps that run on green energy and reduce diesel consumption. Hospitals need uninterrupted power; renewable energy options are the way to go. With the renewable shift, we are saving up to ₹40 million (~$510,545) every year with the help of captive solar. Energy consumption has a lot of scope to help reduce the operational cost-efficiently with no negative impact on the business.”</p>
<p><strong>Criteria to choose Open Access &amp; the way forward </strong></p>
<p>Choubey explains the factors consumers should consider before making the switch. It is important that consumers understand how conducive the DISCOMs in their respective states are when it comes to open access and what the ISTS and intra-state transmission policies are in the state. “For example, Uttar Pradesh is known for opening this power procurement option and has rolled out supporting policies. In most states, the policies keep changing. Some states levy additional surcharges, while others provide a waiver. So, it is important to be updated. Consumers must also identify their energy requirements and then opt for appropriate open access options, either the third party or group captive, where they need to own 26% equity and consume a minimum of 51% of the energy produced.”</p>
<p>About the way forward for open access, Garg said, “Open access has developed considerably over the years, and most of these developments have mostly been within the state and intra-transmission based. With the ISTS waiver coming into the picture, we can expect the sector to scale up even more. Policies related to the open access have also matured over the years as the open access contribution to the overall renewable energy target continues to rise.”</p>
<p>Subramanian added: “Developers are now ensuring uninterrupted power supply to their consumers by developing solar-wind hybrid projects which deliver round-the-clock (RTC) power. With very few states offering energy banking options, RTC is what most consumers are looking for, to help save more.”</p>
<p>Talking about the challenges in procuring power through open access, Kumar said, “While most states do have policies supporting the renewable transition for businesses, some states are still enforcing the dependency on their DISCOMs for this switch. For our hospital in Haryana, switching to renewable energy has been difficult because of the state’s non-supportive policies regarding group captive open access. We hope the states align themselves with the country’s renewable energy target for 2030 and help push the transition with the supportive policies.”</p>
<p>Sharing his insights on the modules used for such projects, Mitra said, “Being a module manufacturer, we help maintain the project&#8217;s sustainability, as it is a degrading asset. While most manufacturers aim for just higher watts, we limit the module sizes to ensure efficiencies and longevity. Better performing modules contribute to projects with a long lifespan. As the sector grows, the country is also adopting new technologies such as bifacial.”</p>
<p>Open access is slowly gaining ground in the C&amp;I segment. It is considered the most viable option because consumers are also not required to operate and maintain the projects.</p>
<p>The event organized by Mercom brought industry stakeholders and end consumers face to face to discuss how this transition could be made with ease. Mercom India plans to <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">host</a> more industry-focused C&amp;I events in Pune, Chennai, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, and Noida.</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>
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<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 />
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Open Access Renewables for Hospitals and Industries in Need of Low-Cost Power


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					</table><p>The Ministry of Power recently issued the Green Energy Open Access Rules, which can catalyze the transition of small-scale industries, commercial consumers, and large households to green energy.</p>
<p>According to the recently released <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-open-access-market-report-q1-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report Q1 2022</a>, India added 513 MW of new open access solar capacity during the first quarter of the year, registering a 58% growth compared to Q4 2021. The open access solar projects in the development pipeline were at 2 GW at the end of the quarter.</p>
<p>With the rising demand for renewables to meet the energy demands across the commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) sector, the new policy aims to provide the much-needed boost the open access market needs today.</p>
<p>As per the new regulations, consumers will be eligible for green energy open access if they have a contracted demand or sanctioned load of 100 kW or more. For captive consumers, there will be no load limitation. The new rule is expected to help more businesses opt for renewables as the minimum load had to be 1 MW earlier.</p>
<p>Energy banking regulations, often considered a problem area by most open access developers, would be standardized to monthly, providing more flexibility to the power generators.</p>
<p>A central nodal agency setting up and operating a single-window green energy open access system, along with the 15 days fixed timeline for approvals, is expected to simplify and speed up the projects.</p>
<p>Green hydrogen and green ammonia projects are expected to get the necessary push with the removal of cross-subsidy surcharges and additional surcharges. The surcharges are capped at 50% for other renewables.</p>
<p>Mercom India spoke to a cross-section of stakeholders to understand how they see the open access market changing in the wake of the new open access green energy policy.</p>
<p><strong>Policy framework positive</strong></p>
<p>Srini Viswanathan, Chief Executive Officer at <a href="https://www.vibrantenergyholdings.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vibrant Energy Holdings</a>, believes the policy democratizes the right of every consumer with over 100 kW sanctioned load to opt for 100% of their power consumption to be derived from renewable energy sources.</p>
<p>“The most important part of the policy is that it allows consumers to offset 100% of their consumption with renewable energy sources. Traditionally, consumers were forced to consider certain parts of their consumption to be acquired from distribution sources alone. The concept of deemed open access under the Central Nodal Agency is a welcome step given the long delays in long-term open access that can negatively affect the project outcome.”</p>
<p>Nithya Balakrishnan, Head of Marketing and Communication at <a href="https://www.fourthpartner.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fourth Partner Energy</a>, said, “The intent of the ministry is evident – encouraging adoption of Renewable Energy across consumer segments. The 15-day window for clearance of open access permits will result in quicker approvals. This is exactly the shot in the arm this sector needed in order to meet the 500 GW renewables target set by the government for 2030.”</p>
<p>“Earlier, the minimum requirement of contract demand was 1 MW which kept the Micro, Small &amp; Medium Enterprises (MSME) segment out of the net. These new rules pave the way for such smaller commercial consumers to switch to low-cost, low-carbon green electricity. The clarity in open access charges helps both developers and consumers with transparency in long-term tariffs: transmission charges, wheeling charges, cross subsidy surcharge (cap), and standby charges. Issuance of green certificates on the basis of clean energy procured or consumed and the 15-day window for fast-tracking approvals are all measures that can add tremendous traction to India’s decarbonization journey,” she said.</p>
<p>A senior executive at a leading energy development company said, “The overall framework is very positive and forward-looking. The annual energy banking regulation for all open access will help overcome hurdles developers face. The contract demand removal and limiting load to 100 kW will attract many customers who are in that range and could not opt for open access earlier. Aggregation, however, might be a challenge; nevertheless, it will open up a market for ones who wish to operate in that segment. It will also facilitate a good captive structure, where multiple parties are involved, with a big special purpose vehicle (SPV), aggregating 10 to 15 customers, contributing to that 26% compulsory equity share. So, business models of 10 MW to 20 MW will also see a rise in demand.”</p>
<p>“Also, if somebody wants to pay a third-party fare, the cross-subsidy surcharge levied will not increase beyond 50% of the current applicable amount for the next 12 years. As far as green hydrogen is concerned, no cross subsidy or additional surcharge is applicable. So you can do a third-party transaction, which opens the space for a lot of green hydrogen developers, where they can procure the power on a third-party basis,” the executive said.</p>
<p>Amit Kumar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at <a href="https://www.altilium.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Altilium</a>, said, “The biggest game-changer is that the energy banking is a law now, which will extend benefits to new projects which are provisioned on merchant capacities with no fixed power purchase agreements. Power sale is a major challenge for merchant capacity installers in India; the new policy will encourage good merchant traction by allowing month-long energy banking and thus facilitating its sale. Adding green energy rating for the energy transactions will help add value when installing new capacities.”</p>
<p>Prashant Choubey, Senior Executive Vice President for Business Development and Human Resources at Avaada, said, &#8220;For C&amp;I consumers wanting renewable energy for sustainability, this will ease the process and allow greater accessibility. Reduction of open access threshold /ceiling, assured banking for green open access consumers, bringing green Hydrogen/Ammonia towards RPO fulfillment, as well as uniform RPO trajectory and ceiling on applicability and fixation of open access charges for green open access will prove to be game-changers. Since Forum of Regulators has been mandated to prepare model regulations on methodology for calculating open access charges within four months of issue of these rules, it is to be seen how this emerges finally.&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>State approval bottleneck</strong></p>
<p>According to the senior executive of the energy development company, the broad-level policy needs to be formalized by state regulators on time. “We have seen this trend regarding the Electricity Act and Electricity Rules, where some state electricity regulatory commissions do not follow the timelines. So, how every state responds to this is very important. Electricity is a concurrent subject wherein the central and state’s decisions matter.”</p>
<p>The executive also pointed out that the policy does not outline a procedure to frame regulations like the one relating to energy banking. The policy says that banking is permitted monthly, but states have no uniformity. In Uttar Pradesh, a 15-minute block is the basis for scheduling banking and consumption, whereas, in Tamil Nadu, the cumulative unit-wise adjustment happens once a month.</p>
<p>Kumar said, “The policy is very good at the concept level. However, it can be a non-starter without approval from state regulators.” For the short-term, he said, there were hardly any benefits cost-wise. The cross-subsidy surcharge waivers on green hydrogen and green ammonia are good, but the projects in those segments would still take another three years to scale up. The policy should have been rolled out in a phased manner and by consulting the states.</p>
<p>Choubey added, &#8220;The onus of making green energy open access applications seems to have been left entirely to entities or consumers through a proposed common application format. This facility could have been extended to developers and setting projects for entities/consumers. Further incorporation and clarity on synchronization of these rules with captive rules as per Indian electricity rules 2005 would have avoided confusion regarding the same. To provide Green Energy Open Access to consumers of green energy, the appropriate Commission has been empowered to amend the relevant regulations so that these regulations shall be consistent with Green Energy Open Access rules. It would be interesting to watch for as this alignment proceeds further.&#8221;</p>
<p>Balakrishnan was of the view that states would have to walk the talk and adopt these measures to boost renewable energy adoption across the board. She also felt that the government must ensure open access project developers are not forced to procure modules from the approved list of models and manufacturers (ALMM).</p>
<p>She said, “The extension of six months is a breather, but the measure (ALMM Order) could be detrimental to the quick pace of renewable energy adoption. The need of the hour is incentivizing domestic module manufacturing capacities, but that cannot be done overnight by curbing/banning imports or additionally taxing developers.”</p>
<p>Echoing similar views, Viswanathan of Vibrant Energy said, “Under paragraph 9, the policy could have explicitly stated that group captive consumers choosing to buy power on interstate basis get a waiver of cross subsidy surcharge and additional surcharge. A specific direction should have been given to state nodal agencies to provide support in line with this policy. However, if there is a lack of support from the state, the central nodal agency can make the necessary process improvement to support the project clearance and open access approvals.”</p>
<p>Open Access has seen rising demand from consumers across the C&amp;I segment. The new policy is strong on intent but might not see the sun in certain states unless the state regulatory bodies approve it.</p>
<p>India has set an ambitious target of installing 500 GW renewable capacity by 2030. The latest policy intervention is a big step forward in meeting the target. Together with the inter-state transmission system (ISTS) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/waiving-ists-catalyze-growth-open-access/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">waiver</a> and the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/almm-for-open-access-rooftop-solar-effective-from-october/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">postponement</a> of the ALMM mandate for open access, the new green energy open access policy may be the answer the renewable energy sector was looking for.</p>
<p>Mercom is <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/solar-summit-2022/register/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hosting</a> events focused on creating awareness about renewable energy procurement by commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) entities. Under the title C&amp;I Clean Energy Meet 2022.</p>
<p>The first event in the C&amp;I Clean Meet 2022 series was held in Bangalore. Industry experts <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ci-consumers-switch-clean-energy-save-power-bills/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discussed</a> the benefits of renewable energy and how the C&amp;I sector could utilize it for their expansive power needs. After an overwhelming response in Bengaluru, Mercom India plans to host more industry-focused C&amp;I <a href="https://mercomindia.com/event/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">events</a> in Pune, Chennai, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad, and Noida.</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>
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<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>
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New Green Energy Open Access Policy: States Must Walk the Talk

<p>Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:</p>
<p><strong>Central Transmission Utility of India (CTUIL) </strong><a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1832293" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>launched</strong></a><strong> the National Single Window System (NSWS), integrating the filing of applications</strong> for grant of connectivity, long-term access, and medium-term open access to the interstate transmission system in India as well as to participating entities located in neighboring countries. The NSWS would enable ‘single-point’ approvals and clearances needed by investors, entrepreneurs, and businesses in India and facilitate ‘ease of doing business initiatives by the Ministry of Power. It is a digital platform for the guidance of investors to identify and apply for approvals per their business requirements. CTUIL, a 100% subsidiary of PowerGrid Corporation of India Limited under the Ministry of Power, is the nodal agency for the grants.</p>
<p><strong>The </strong><a href="https://doe.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Department of Expenditure</strong></a><strong>, Ministry of Finance, issued a new procedure for fund flow under Central Sector programs, including grid-connected rooftop solar program (GCRTS) Phase I and II.</strong> Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will be the central nodal agency (CNA) for the GCRTS program. The entities must open a zero-balance savings account in the Bank of Maharashtra. The bank and CNA will facilitate the opening subsidiary implementing agency (SIA) accounts. They must nominate a nodal officer for the implementation of the new procedure for fund flow to coordinate with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, SECI, and Bank of Maharashtra. The unspent amounts in the SIA accounts will be returned to CNA. All such amounts must be returned before processing fresh releases under the new procedure. Existing bank accounts used by SIAs under the program will not be used further for releasing the central financial assistance. The release of incentives to DISCOMs has been exempted from the new procedure.</p>
<p><strong>ERG, an Italy-based wind power operator, </strong><a href="https://www.erg.eu/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=0b357e03-8b25-6c30-248a-f3ca16691172&amp;groupId=10181&amp;version=1.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>announced</strong></a><strong> the commissioning of the Les Bouchats wind farm in France, situated in the Grand-Est region, with a total capacity of 19.8 MW.</strong> The wind farm comprised nine Vestas V 110 2.2 MW turbines and was developed and built in-house. When fully operational, it will generate around 52 GWh per year, preventing the emission of around 25,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year. The plant will benefit from a feed-in tariff for 20 years from its commissioning. ERG signed a partnership agreement with Volterres, a green energy supplier group, to offer approximately 200 residents in the nearby areas the possibility to access to a supply of clean, wind farm-generated electricity at competitive prices</p>
<p><strong>Plug Power, a provider of turnkey hydrogen solutions, </strong><a href="https://www.ir.plugpower.com/press-releases/news-details/2022/Plug-to-Build-Large-Scale-Green-Hydrogen-Generation-Plant-in-Europe-at-Port-of-Antwerp-Bruges/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>announced</strong></a><strong> that it would build a 35-tons-per-day green hydrogen generation plant at Port of Antwerp-Bruges in the heart of Europe.</strong> Plug signed a 30-year concession agreement to build the plant at the Belgian port, the second largest in Europe. Plug plans to build a 100 MW green hydrogen plant on 28 acres of land leased under the agreement using its electrolyzer and liquefaction technology. It will produce up to 12,500 tons of liquid and gaseous green hydrogen annually for the European market. Construction of the plant is anticipated in late 2023. Initial production of green hydrogen is expected in late 2024 and plant commissioning in 2025.</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>
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Daily News Wrap-Up: Online Platform for Faster Approval of Open Access Launched

<p>Mercom India Research has released a data report, <strong><a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercom-india-solar-market-leaderboard-2020-market-shares-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">India Solar Market Leaderboard 2020</a>,</strong> which reveals the solar industry market leaders that emerged during the calendar year (CY) 2019.</p>
<p>The report features the industry’s leaders as well as their market share and shipment rankings across the Indian solar supply chain.</p>
<p>The Indian solar market expanded during the year as participation increased, and new leaders emerged while existing players fought to retain their top spots amid rising competition.</p>
<p>India installed <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-solar-installations-2019-declined/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">7.3 GW</a> of solar capacity in 2019 and <a href="https://mercomindia.com/china-united-states-india-collectively-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">secured</a> its spot as the world’s third-largest solar market in the world. The country boasts of cumulative solar installations of about 35.7 GW at the end of December 2019.</p>
<blockquote><p>“The solar market leaders have changed in almost every category compared to 2018. With a tough year ahead, we expect strong, resilient, and innovative companies to continue to do well,” said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong><em><a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-18953" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3.png" alt="2019 India Solar Market Share Leaders" width="2362" height="2598" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3.png 2362w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-273x300.png 273w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-931x1024.png 931w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-768x845.png 768w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-1396x1536.png 1396w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-1862x2048.png 1862w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-650x715.png 650w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-624x686.png 624w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/2019-India-Solar-Market-Share-Leaders-3-600x660.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 2362px) 100vw, 2362px" /></a></em></strong><strong><em>Full list of market share leaders available <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercom-india-solar-market-leaderboard-2020-market-shares-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a></em></strong></p>
<p><strong>Utility-scale Solar</strong></p>
<p>Large-scale solar installations in 2019 accounted for 85% of the additions at 6.2 GW. Also, solar accounted for 41% of new power capacity additions in 2019 behind coal, which accounted for 44%. As the industry is expanding, so is the number of developers backed by domestic and international investors who see India as a promising market.</p>
<p>The top ten large-scale developers held ~70% of the market share in 2019, according to the report. There were over 300 utility-scale project developers with projects of 5 MW or larger capacity in operation in India.</p>
<p><a href="https://renewpower.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ReNew Power</a> was the top utility-scale developer in CY 2019. <a href="https://www.adanigreenenergy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Adani</a> was the largest project developer in terms of cumulative solar installations as of December 2019.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.azurepower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Azure Power</a> had the largest project pipeline as of December 2019, and there were around 29 large-scale solar developers with a project pipeline of 100 MW or more in India.</p>
<p><strong>EPC </strong></p>
<p>Companies offering Engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) services saw a lot of projects moved to 2020 due to delays caused by general elections, land, and evacuation issues, among others. Mahindra Susten was the top EPC player for utility-scale solar installations during the year.</p>
<p><strong>Rooftop Solar</strong></p>
<p>At the end of 2019, cumulative rooftop solar installations in India reached 4,365 MW. A total of 1,104 MW of rooftop solar projects were installed in 2019, a steep decline of 33% compared to 2018. Cumulative rooftop installations still only make up 10.9% of the country’s rooftop solar target of 40 GW by 2022.</p>
<p>In 2019, the top ten rooftop solar installers represented 43% of the market share.</p>
<p>Tata Power Solar held the top spot in terms of cumulative solar rooftop installations and as well for the year 2019.</p>
<p><strong>Solar Inverter Suppliers</strong></p>
<p>Huawei was the leading solar inverter supplier in the country during 2019 followed by Sungrow.</p>
<p>Growatt, Solis, Goodwe, and Delta Power Solutions were the other top string inverter suppliers.</p>
<p>Inverter suppliers breathed a sigh of relief as the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/new-deadline-bis-certification-solar-inverters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extended the deadline</a> for the self-certification of solar inverters by six months from December 31, 2019, to June 30, 2020. The government had mandated that laboratories must conduct the tests for compulsory registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the implementation of the quality order.</p>
<p><strong>Solar Module Suppliers</strong></p>
<p>In CY 2019, the top ten module suppliers acquired 62% of the market share. Waaree Energies and Adani were the leading module suppliers in terms of shipments in the calendar year 2019.</p>
<p>Supported by the safeguard duty and DCR tenders, Indian manufacturers are now competing strongly with Chinese suppliers.</p>
<p>The implementation of the approved list of manufacturers and models (<a href="https://mercomindia.com/?s=approved+models" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ALMM</a>) also saw an <a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-industry-covid-19-almm-deadline-extended/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">extension</a> of the deadline by six months from March 31, 2020, to September 30, 2020. The ALMM was mandated by the MNRE for manufacturers of solar modules to enlist if their modules are to be utilized in government-owned projects and those set up for the sale of electricity to the government.</p>
<p><strong>Solar Trackers and Mounting Structures</strong></p>
<p>In 2019, Scorpius Trackers was the top supplier of solar trackers.</p>
<p>Ganges Internationale was the top supplier of solar mounting structures during the year, followed by Purshotam Profiles and Strolar.</p>
<p>Recently, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/anti-dumping-duty-coated-flat-products/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recommended</a> the imposition of anti-dumping duty on aluminum and zinc coated flat products from China PR, Vietnam, and Korea RP to protect the domestic industry. In solar projects, the panels are placed on the module mounting structures, which are made up of aluminum and zinc-coated flat products.</p>
<p><strong>Open Access Solar</strong></p>
<p>Rays Power Experts and CleanMax Solar were the top open access developers as of December 2019.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/open-access-solar-market-india-key-states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">open access solar market</a> in India has been offering parallel opportunities for stakeholders, including large corporates, solar project developers, investors, and power distribution companies, to participate in the solar growth story. There is a growing demand for serious players to develop open access projects and sell power to multinational companies (MNCs) that are choosing group captive solar to go green.</p>
<p>The solar sector is currently reeling with issues like delays in DISCOMs’ payment to developers, PPA renegotiations, power curtailment, difficulty in forecasting and scheduling power, access to financing, reimbursement delays, and the looming fear of the coronavirus derailing the supply schedules.</p>
<p><strong>Solar Robotic Cleaning </strong></p>
<p>Ecoppia was the top supplier of robotic cleaning systems in India as of December 2019.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/robotic-cleaning-solar-modules-gaining-traction-india/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Robotic cleaning</a> of solar panels is gaining traction in India amid water scarcity. Along with this, cleaning robots eliminate the need for extensive manual labor and increases electricity generation. Most of the major developers have deployed the robotic cleaning systems installed on large solar parks such as REWA, Bhadla, Pavagada. The MNRE has also <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-asks-robotics-for-water-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">recommended</a> the use of robotic cleaning technology, which uses less water for cleaning solar projects.<strong> </strong></p>
<p><strong>Get the complete list of market leaders with installation and supply numbers in the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/mercom-india-solar-market-leaderboard-2020-market-shares-profiles" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">full report</a>.</strong></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/priya-sanjay/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Priya Sanjay</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/Priya-Sanjay-Managing-Director-Mercom-India-1.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Priya Sanjay,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/priya-sanjay/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Priya Sanjay.</a></p>
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<div class="authorboxn">
<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Priya-Sanjay-Managing-Director-Mercom-India-1.jpg" alt="Wendy Prabhu" />Priya currently serves as the Publisher for MercomIndia.com. With more than a decade of experience working in corporate communications, research, and policy, Priya has deep roots in the Indian energy markets and is regularly in touch with policy makers and industry leaders. Priya received her bachelor’s degree from Vidya Vardhaka College of Arts in Bangalore, India for Political Science and Economics and completed her MBA from Bangalore University. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/priya-sanjay/">More articles from Priya Sanjay.</a></div>
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