Asia

Indian manufacturer Saatvik has joined Belgium-based PV Cycle’s recycling scheme for damaged solar modules. 

State-owned electricity distribution companies implementing the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) scheme may clear dues worth INR 2,000 crore (around $250 million) this fiscal, supporting renewable energy generators to build capacity for growth and reduce leverage. 

Prospective developers in Solar Energy Corp. of India’s latest tender will set up renewable energy projects to supply round-the-clock power. The projects can be located anywhere in India. Bidding closes on Oct. 10.

GaoRun, a China-based supplier of automated solar module production equipment, has appointed Hitesh Tungal as the vice president of its global business, effective from Sept. 1. The company has also decided to open an office in India.

Singapore-headquartered Sembcorp Industries (Sembcorp) has signed an agreement to sell Sembcorp Energy India to Tanweer Infrastructure for $2.1 billion. It said the proposed sale will accelerate the transformation of its portfolio from brown to green.

Gail Chen, CEO of Arctech’s joint venture manufacturing base in India, says the company is committed to bringing solar tracker prices down for customers and enabling a lower cost of electricity in the country.

Gujarat-based KPI Green Energy is developing a 16.10 MW wind-solar hybrid power plant in Gujarat. It expects the project to go online in March 2023.

India’s Mecwin has unveiled compact, wall-mountable lithium battery inverters with 1,100 VA and 2,100 VA ratings. The 1,100 VA devices measure 455 mm x 530 mm x 235 mm and weigh 23 kg. The built-in battery can be charged with grid power and solar electricity. 

Scientists in Switzerland put together a detailed analysis of the projected costs of designing and operating a 100 MW perovskite solar cell production line in various locations, taking in labor and energy costs as well as all materials and processing. The found that perovskite PV could be cost-competitive with other technologies even at much smaller scale, but noted that this still depends on the tech proving its long-term stability, and impressive achievements in research being successfully transferred to commercial production.

The rise of electric vehicles brings rapid technological advancement and cost reductions to lithium ion battery manufacturing, which can serve to make batteries more useful and more profitable for the energy storage industry. However, the use of stationary batteries as energy assets is still at a nascent stage. Most markets and business models are immature, and InfoLink analyst Yuan Fang-wei sees policy as the major driving force to lead and stimulate China’s energy storage market.