Markets & Policy

The framework will guide the state-level and central government ministries and other stakeholders in formulating schemes and programs for the promotion of distributed renewable energy-based livelihood applications.

Norwegian analyst Rystad Energy has warned the solar industry could suffer the same effects of rising input prices as onshore wind developers grappling with ever more costly steel, with much hinging on how much solar panel raw material polysilicon can be manufactured.

Greenko Group will provide Ayana with 6 GWh of pumped-hydro storage capacity from its project in Andhra Pradesh, allowing Ayana to provide firm power to offakers.

The global steel industry is poised to shift from coal to hydrogen. With enough high-quality iron ore and low prices for hydrogen, India could play a pivotal role in global steel decarbonisation given its large and growing economy.

The 25 MW solar project acquired by Torrent Power benefits from a a 25-year power purchase agreement with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd, a wholly-owned unit of Reliance Industries Ltd, now holds 40% of the total paid-up equity share capital of Sterling & Wilson Solar following acquisition of a further stake from its promoters. 

State-owned power producers THDC India, NTPC, NHPC, and SJVN have committed investments to build 10 GW of renewable energy capacity each. Among private firms, Reliance plans 20 GW and Axis Energy Group 28 GW of solar projects and 4 GW solar module manufacturing facility.

India installed 3,316 MW of non-hydro renewable energy capacity in the third quarter of FY2021-22, compared to just 1,914 MW installed in the same period last year. Out of this, 93% (3,072 MW) came from solar.

All stakeholders are expecting the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) to expedite and issue letters of award to balance companies that have bid under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for solar. Most players have already acquired land and some have even done the land development work and basic construction in anticipation of the award pending for the last three months. 

Ashutosh Verma, founder of solar appliance manufacturing company Exalta India, says the key to increasing the uptake of solar products in rural areas lies in improving the access to finance, infrastructure to retain the technology, and awareness on usage.

BloombergNEF’s Jenny Chase has surveyed the state of affairs in world solar for clean energy journal Joule and said the technology’s historic ability to surmount obstacles – and persistently confound analysts’ predictions – should offer a reason for hope.