Markets & Policy

The International Energy Agency expects solar, wind power, and other renewable energy technologies to achieve triple-digit global growth this year, with new PV additions set to reach almost 200 GW.

In a keynote address at Intersolar Europe 2022, Indian Union Minister Bhagwant Khuba asked global investors to seize the opportunity to focus on India as it targets net-zero emissions by 2070 and 500 GW of installed non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.

GAIL, India’s largest state-owned natural gas company, has awarded a contract to an undisclosed company to install and commission a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolysis unit in Madhya Pradesh. The system will be powered by 10 MW of renewables, to produce around 4.3 metric tons of hydrogen per day.

With its growing population and rapidly increasing energy needs, Pakistan’s energy security is undermined by the overriding share of imported fossil fuels in its energy mix. But, by turning to its untapped, tremendous solar, wind and biomass potential, the South Asian country could spur social and economic development, while improving energy access, says IRENA.

Ketan Chitnis, vice president of the stationary storage business unit at Nexcharge, has joined L&T Power as head of Li-ion and other cell chemistries. Vinay Pabba, the founder of VARP Power and a former chief operating officer at Greenko, has been appointed as the new COO of Vibrant Energy.

Borosil Renewables, an Indian solar glass manufacturer, has recorded net sales of around INR 644 crore ($83 million) for fiscal 2021-22. It operated almost at full capacity throughout the year and sold out of everything it produced.

The China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has extended a $200 million long-term credit facility to Bangladesh to finance a range of infrastructure projects, including renewable energy expansion.

Chinese PV module manufacturer Longi has surpassed 7 GW of shipments to India, less than six years after launching its operations in the country.

NYSE-listed Azure Power has appointed IndiGrid’s Harsh Shah as its new chief executive officer. Shah succeeds Ranjit Gupta, who left Azure Power after contributing to the company’s growth for three years.

As people have gradually migrated to the world’s cities, urban areas have migrated upward to scrape the sky. And yet, while one of the first principles of power generation is to generate as close as possible to the point of consumption, energy systems have long been designed to deliver electricity to major cities from distant hubs. But now, thanks to recent advances in solar panel energy density and building-integrated PV, vertical cities could soon be standing tall under their own power.