Indian trough highlighted by Chinese solar glassmaker
Xinyi Solar has posted bullish annual figures on the back of an astonishing rebound in the global market following Covid travails at the start of 2020. There is one national market, however, which has not been invited to the party.
Siemens completes the acquisition of C&S Electric in India
Siemens has acquired C&S Electric’s around 99.22% equity share capital for INR 2,100 crore. The acquisition will allow it to address the rising demand for low-voltage power distribution solutions in India. Apart from gaining easy access to the Indian market, the transaction also aims to create an export hub.
Sterling and Wilson partners Enel X to enter EV charging infrastructure
Under the joint venture, Sterling and Wilson will provide end-to-end services for electric vehicle charging stations across India.
Ieefa proposes a three-pronged approach for grid firming
A new report discusses battery storage, green hydrogen, and flexible coal-fired power generation as key grid firming options for India as solar and wind are poised to form 51% of the nation’s total installed generation capacity by 2030.
ReNew Power to merge with US firm for NASDAQ listing
Proceeds from the transaction with RMG Acquisition will be used to support ReNew’s growth strategy, including the buildout of its contracted, utility-scale renewable power generation capacity and to reduce debt.
Essar Power to set up 90 MW solar plant in Madhya Pradesh
The private power producer will set up the proposed solar plant in the Datia district in two parts of 33.7 MW and 56.17 MW. The project is expected to be completed by June 2022.
BloombergNEF expects up to 209 GW of new solar for this year
A new report from the U.S.-based analyst predicts that new PV additions for 2021 may range from 163 to 221 GW next year and from 179 to 240 GW in 2023. According to BloombergNEF, the current supply bottlenecks for glass and polysilicon will unlikely halt the global PV market.
TERI, POSOCO partner on grid balancing research
The partnership will lead to enhanced power system modeling backed with rich data-sets to identify interventions for addressing power sector problems like grid instability.
Indian startup Solavio Labs raises Canadian fund
The solar panel-cleaning robot startup, which saw its sales jump 125 times last year, has thus far raised three levels of funding amounting to INR 2 crore from government bodies in India, Dubai, and Canada.
The long read: Filling the energy technology, poverty gap
Advanced technology is of little use if it cannot reach those who need it most. Two Indonesian companies – Kopernik, an NGO based in Bali, and Sumba Sustainable Solutions, from the island of Sumba – are trying to bridge the gap between those in need and those with technological solutions. They both focus on the PV electrification of rural areas and brightening Indonesia’s “last mile.”
