Next big thing is to take solar to everyone's life: ISA Director-General

In a Q&A, Dr Ajay Mathur talks about the Alliance's current agenda, and financing and capacity building plans across green sectors

International Solar Alliance (ISA) is India’s flagship global organisation aimed at improving solar energy access across the globe and also building inter-country green energy capacity sharing infrastructure. A consortium partnership of 121 countries, ISA will be hosting its fifth ministerial in New Delhi this week. Ahead of the conference, Dr Ajay Mathur, director-general, ISA talked with Shreya Jai and Nitin Kumar on the current agenda, their financing and capacity building plans across green sectors. Edited excerpts:

What is on the agenda for the fifth ministerial of the ISA this time?

The assembly typically takes care of a few statutory requirements such as approving budget and expenditure and the positions that ISA has. The second is about future programmes. We need emphasis on risk reduction in developing countries for private sector investors to come in. One of the things we will take to the assembly is an institutional model that helps us provide the kind of risk management that could possibly get the private sector to put in money. The next big thing is bringing solar to everybody’s life. We are also going to the assembly with a discussion on a mechanism to develop new solar entrepreneurs.

What is ISA's current budget and what is the quantum of increase that you anticipate?

Last year we had no international staff. This time, with international staff in place and activity increasing, we're looking at a budget of about $9 million. Next year we expect this to increase to $13-15 million.

What financial instruments are you looking at for fundraising?

The resources are largely provided by India, which has contributed approximately Rs 100 crore a year for the next three years as sovereign funding. There are other countries which give small amounts. We are looking at contributions by various countries. Resources are also being provided by several foundations, which have together committed close to $40 million for the next three years.

There was a proposal for green energy and infra companies to invest in ISA, in return for exposure to new markets. Why has it not kicked off?

The key issue continues to be what value addition ISA will provide to these corporate entities. This year, we have created a private sector advisor group that consists of developers, manufacturers, and financiers of solar energy. We will engage with them on the kind of value-added activities they can get into because of ISA. In a few African countries, we are building a model in which new solar facilities are created by bidding. So, any company can bid, including international solar developers. Currently, 12 such bids have been announced in countries such as Mali, Cuba, Venezuela, Prague, Uganda, Ethiopia etc with a cumulative capacity of 9.5 Gw.

What is the status of the ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ project?

A consortium led by EDF is looking at this. They are doing a study looking at what are the kinds of demands that could occur. And at the same time what are the kinds of costs that it would take to build these inter-connectors. We are looking at strengthening grids within countries and also interconnecting these regions.

What will ISA push at COP27 this year?

We are not members of COP, though we have a formal association with the UNFCCC secretariat. We will look at investment strategies taken for climate and make sure they are available for solar, particularly in counties into which money is not flowing today.

There is some criticism that ISA's role as a project facilitator has become diluted...

I think with the 9.5 Gw of facilitation that we are doing, we are very much in there as part of the development of solar across the world. Through other projects such as the risk facility or entrepreneurial facility we are adding to action in solar where none has happened.