Ali Imran Naqvi, Vice President of India-based advisory and engineering firm, Gensol Group, explains why harm stemming from the Indian government's safeguard duty on solar cell and module imports might not be too pronounced nor too long-lived.
Tariffs in a 1GW solar auction in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh have hit INR3.48-3.55/kWh (US$0.051-0.052), which is significantly higher than bids in other recent Indian auctions for a range of reasons, including a history of PPA renegotiations.
An auction carried out under Karnataka’s 860MW solar tender has seen a recalibration of tariffs in India and a surprising outcome for the lowest tariff.
The Ministry of Power in the Indian state of Kerala has directed the state utility to provide training on grid-connected solar rooftop systems to its field-level employees, in what has been claimed to be a first in India. Meanwhile, a 200MW solar park has also been downgraded to 50MW.
Renewable energy developers SkyPower and Renew Power are involved in legal disputes with the distribution company (Discom) of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh over solar project deadlines and PPAs, while SkyPower has also claimed to have successfully brought into operation its first ever project in the state.
India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has released a document clarifying the rules for state government offtake of solar park capacity, while the World Bank plans to provide US$100 million for solar park infrastructure.
Not-for-profit research firm The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has collaborated with a Delhi distribution company BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) to investigate technical challenges and solutions for renewable energy grid integration.