Things can change very quickly in the solar industry, and no more so than when new trade-related cases are introduced or existing ones are amended in scope. Often companies – and in particular module suppliers relying on export revenues – suddenly find themselves with a golden opportunity that was previously not in their strategies, or have barriers unlocked that remove competitors based in other countries.
State-run coal mining and power firm NLC India has auctioned a 20MW solar PV project to be combined with 28MWh of energy storage capacity in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Delhi-based clean energy firm Orange Renewable, a subsidiary of Singapore-based AT Holdings, has commissioned 140MW of solar PV projects in the Indian states of Gujarat and Maharashtra.
NTPC-SAIL Power Company (NSPCL), a joint venture between Indian utility NTPC and the Steel Authority of India, have invited bids for EPC on a 25MW solar project in West Bengal, India.
Azure Power has submitted the lowest bid of INR3.14 (US$0.048) in a 250MW solar auction under the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) held by Indian utility NTPC.
Operations and maintenance | India’s solar industry has been focused on reaching a hugely
ambitious target of 100GW of PV by 2022. There is a need to get smart on managing and maintaining solar assets is now becoming an overriding priority.
Quality | The speed of solar deployment in India has raised concerns that quality maybe sacrificed
for expediency. Although there are warning signs of a potential quality problem, efforts are underway to nip it in the bud
India’s new power minister R.K. Singh has said that India’s power needs will double in the next 6-7 years, while India is committed to reaching 40% renewables in its energy mix by 2030.
The days of naming financing as one of the major hurdles for Indian solar appear to be coming to an end in 2017 as record low tariffs were enabled by a newly-attractive fiscal environment. PV Tech caught up with Kuljit Singh, partner, Transaction Advisory Services at EY, to discuss a potential spate of Indian solar IPOs, pension fund interest, Masala bonds and the future of the market.
A subsidiary of Reliance Capital, part of major Indian conglomerate Reliance Group, has signed an agreement to obtain INR3 billion (US$46 million) in funding from the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) for lending to renewables and energy efficiency projects.
The Indian government caused quite the buzz last week when it announced the US$2.5 billion "Saubhagya" scheme to provide electricity access to all households by December 2018. 'Power For All' director William Brent discusses why distributed renewable energy solutions must not be overlooked.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has entered a new partnership with the International Solar Alliance and confirmed plans to provide €800 million in financing for small-scale renewable energy project investment across India.
TUV Rheinland India, a subsidiary of the TUV Rheinland Group has opened a new €2.5 million state-of-the-art laboratory at Electronic City in Bangalore, India to provide all testing services under one roof and dramatically reduce turnaround time and accelerate time-to-market for customers.
