ISA to unveil first multi-nation bidding platform for solar power: DG

International Solar Alliance (ISA), the global treaty-based organisation launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015, is set to announce the world's first multi-country joint bidding platform for solar-cum-storage power at its eighth Assembly in Delhi on Monday. In an interview with Sudheer Pal Singh in New Delhi, ISA Director General Ashish Khanna shares the larger vision behind the initiative, among other key priority areas for the alliance. Edited excerpts:      

 

What is the significance of the discussions taking place at the 8th ISA Assembly beginning Monday?

 

It is a unique moment in ISA's history. It took 25 years to build the first 1,000 Gw of solar capacity — and just two years to add the next 1,000 Gw. And our projections, to be released on October 29, show that this capacity will double to 4,600 Gw in the next four years. This means the world will witness a massive increase in solar power capacity. For the first time in the world, solar energy generation has surpassed that of coal in the first six months of this year. Also, 80 per cent of all renewable energy in the next five years will come from solar, and more than 70 per cent of all new solar capacity is being built in the Asia Pacific. What better moment for a Global South institution to rise, as the solar business quadruples in just five years. Nearly all new capacity comes from solar, and the Global South stands poised to lead the transition.

 

In this backdrop, how do you see ISA's role shaping the global clean energy narrative?

 

ISA, now being a 125-member body, is moving from pilots to platforms. Now, it is no longer about advocacy on solar; it is about action. Countries need support in implementation. We have shared this vision with the energy ministers of 50 countries, 100 private-sector executives, and MDB heads over the last six months, and have received unanimous support. Therefore, in this Assembly, we are launching the implementation of this strategy. This includes creating platforms to bring countries together, in line with our broader mandate to establish forums for aggregating demand. We have created two such platforms. One platform is for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in which 16 countries — from the Pacific, Caribbean and Asia — have come together. They have signed a joint declaration to submit combined large-scale bids for joint procurement of solar-cum-battery projects, moving away from separate small-scale bids. This is important because currently, all of them have 80 per cent diesel- and fuel-oil-based generation, costing 25 US cents per unit. It is leading to a fuel subsidy bill of up to 13 per cent of GDP and this could have been spent on other key development priorities. Large private-sector companies are generally not interested in small projects. So, we are combining efforts from all countries. In this Assembly, we are launching the joint procurement under this SIDS initiative, which will be signed by representatives of 16 countries. This joint procurement is critical, as it will serve as a digital e-tendering initiative to build capacity at scale at a lower cost.

 

This initiative will also be announced at COP30 in Belem, Brazil. The first phase of this SIDS initiative will be launched in six months. We expect the first bid package to be ready by then.

       

What is the idea of the second platform?

 

The second platform is a financing platform called Africa Solar Facility as part of a Global Solar Facility. African countries with the best solar resources have the lowest investment. This is because the private sector in these countries has a high-risk perception. We are creating a $200 million risk mitigation facility, which will be launched now. The Africa Solar Facility will be unique because it will leverage public money to attract private capital in a 1:20 or 1:30 ratio. This is in line with G20 recommendations of using public concessional finance to leverage maximum private resources. We are trying to show that innovation in financial instruments requires such high leverage. Apart from these two initiatives on aggregation and leveraging, we are also helping countries harmonise standards for solar PV inverters, batteries, and other equipment across the entire Global South.

 

ISA is also involved in the development of the One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG) idea. What is the update on that?

 

For the first time in our history, we are launching an OSOWOG programme in this Assembly. In the future, there will be a dedicated vertical within ISA, along with a team which will focus on bringing countries together on key regional interconnections. We are finalising a report that prioritises the top 2-3 interconnections between East Asia-South Asia, South Asia-Middle East, Middle East-Europe, and Europe-Africa. We will convene countries to begin feasibility and regulatory work on OSOWOG over the next 2-3 years.

 

What is the larger significance of all these efforts put together?

 

Suppose you look at global development so far in areas like solar, green hydrogen, and Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV), you will realise that the thought leadership has come from the West. Now is the time for Global South thought leadership, and BIPV is a perfect example: the developed world has already built much of its infrastructure, while 70% of buildings in the developing world are yet to be constructed by 2040. Through our initiatives, we plan to bring down the cost of BIPV to as low as that of a solar rooftop. This will include ideas such as mandatory housing codes across countries in the Global South. Other programmes under this thought leadership initiative will also cover new technologies such as solar ferries and solar pumps. In this Assembly, we are also launching a Community of Practice across our 125 Member & Signatory Countries on Solar PV and Waste management, as shared standards and business models would ensure recycling of critical minerals through circularity. We are also bringing countries together on using Artificial Intelligence for Energy. All these new technology initiatives would not only provide affordable and reliable clean energy essential for growth but also generate jobs, which is a priority in developing countries.