Page 12 - Solar Energy

UK firm secures lucrative order to supply Indian solar facility in Gujarat

A small cleantech firm in south-east England has secured a GBP 4 million order to supply its technology to a projected 2.0-gigawatt solar facility in Mundra, Gujarat, according to a top company official. Gas Recovery and Recycle Limited (GR2L), an MSME (micro small and medium enterprise) business in Surrey, claims to have developed, patented and exported cutting-edge technology to reduce the energy consumption, carbon footprint and cost of manufacturing solar panels. It was backed by UK Export Finance (UKEF), the UK government's export credit agency, with a GBP 475,000 guarantee issued under its Bond Support Scheme that helped secure the Indian order. Building on our existing export successes, support from Lloyds Banks and UKEF helped us to secure this latest growth opportunity and further develop our established international presence. I look forward to commissioning our machinery by the end of 2023, said Rob Grant, CEO and founder of GR2L. With production of brand-new argon creati

Centre slashes solar imports from China as domestic manufacturing thrives

In a departure from global trends, India has recorded a substantial 76 per cent drop in solar module imports from China during the first half of 2023 which reflects New Delhi's resolute shift towards self-sufficiency in solar manufacturing, a new report said on Thursday. Year-on-year, India's solar module imports from China plummeted from 9.8 GW in the first half of 2022 to a mere 2.3 GW during the corresponding period in 2023, the report by global energy think tank Ember said. This strategic shift, coupled with the imposition of tariffs, underscores India's determination to minimise dependency on imports and prioritise the development of its domestic manufacturing capacity. Neshwin Rodrigues, an India Electricity Policy Analyst at Ember, said, "India's dependence on China for solar module imports is well and truly reducing post-2022. Domestic manufacturing is gaining momentum, thanks to recent policy interventions." "As India edges closer to self-sufficiency in solar manufacturing

Open access solar capacity addition falls 3.6% to 712 MW in Apr-Jun: Report

The country recorded a 3.6 per cent decline in new installations of open access solar capacity to 712 megawatt (MW) in the June quarter, according to a report by Mercom India. India had added 739 MW of open access solar capacities in the year-ago period, the research firm said in its 'Q2 2023 Solar Open Access Market Report'. However, on a quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) basis, the capacity addition was 24 per cent higher than the 577 MW in the January-March quarter, the report said. Open access enables consumers with more than 100 kW sanctioned load to buy cheaper power from the open market. In the January-June period, India added 1.3 GW of open access solar capacity, down almost 18 per cent compared to 1.6 GW installed in the year-ago period. "In the period under review, the green energy open access regulation has been a major enabler for increased solar capacity addition under open access, even though lack of uniform rules in states was a challenge. "Hybrid power projects with a ..

TPREL to set up 12 MW on-site solar project for Tata Motors in Maharashtra

Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) will set up a 12 megawatt (MW) on-site solar project at Tata Motors' commercial vehicle manufacturing facility in Maharashtra. In a statement, TPREL said it has already signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Tata Motors in this regard. "Tata Motors and Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) have entered into a PPA to develop a new 12MWp on-site solar project at Tata Motors' commercial vehicle manufacturing facility in Pune," the statement said. The project will generate 17.5 million units of electricity per annum mitigating over 12,400 tonnes of Co2 per annum. "Signing of 12MWp PPA with Tata Motors underlines our critical step forward on the shared goals for a sustainable future. We are committed to support the energy transition of our C&I consumers through a bouquet of our clean energy solutions," said Ashish Khanna, CEO, Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd. The latest order follows a 28.12-megawatt green energy plant for Sanyo ...

Solar installations see 3.2% growth at 872 MW in January-June: Mercom

Rooftop solar installations in the country grew by 3.2 per cent to 872 megawatt (MW) during January-June period of 2023, Mercom India said. In H1 or first half of 2022, 845 MW of rooftop solar capacities were installed in India, the research firm said. India's cumulative rooftop solar capacity reached 9.6 gigawatts (GW) at the end June 2023, the 'Mercom India Rooftop Solar Market Report' said. In the second quarter, 387 megawatts (MW) of rooftop solar capacity was added, which is 20 per cent higher compared to January-March 2023, and marginally down by 0.5 per cent over April-June 2022. "Rooftop solar did not meet expectations in H1, even with falling component prices and growing demand. We see a much stronger second half as installers holding out for better margins start ramping up installations and meeting demand at a much quicker pace" said Raj Prabhu, CEO of Mercom Capital Group. The capacity additions by residential consumers accounted for 54 per cent, industrial consumers 25

India sees record demand for rooftop solar as companies seek clean energy

Companies are on pace to install 4 gigawatts of panels on top of buildings in this financial year ending March 31, nearly doubling the previous record

PM Modi hails Indian Railways' increase in harnessing of solar power

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the Indian Railways' increase in harnessing of solar power, saying it shows commendable progress in the commitment towards a greener future. Modi tagged a post on 'X' by the Ministry of Railways in which it said, "Marching towards #MissionNetZero Carbon Emission by harnessing Solar Power. Capacity increased 54x in the last 9 years. Solar power capacity commissioned:- Till March 2014: 3.68 MW. 2014-23: 200.31 MW." Modi said, "Shows commendable progress in our commitment towards a greener future. In just nine years, we have enhanced our capacity significantly, taking significant strides towards Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission." "Let us continue this journey, ensuring a brighter and sustainable tomorrow for India," the prime minister said.

Tata Power arm to set up 4.4 MW solar energy project for ANANG Group

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) on Tuesday said it has signed an agreement with automotive components maker ANAND Group to set up a captive 4.4 MW solar project. In a statement, the Tata Power arm said it will facilitate the generation of 10 million units of clean energy and eliminate 5,500 tonnes of carbon emissions annually as part of the agreement. TPREL has signed a power delivery agreement (PDA) for 4.4 MW AC with the ANAND Group, it said. "This group captive project highlights our commitment to support the automotive industry in becoming more sustainable and environmentally focussed," Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited CEO Ashish Khanna said. Previously, Tata Power and the ANAND Group collaborated for a 10.1-MW Solar PV park power project, located in Maharashtra. TPREL's total renewables capacity is at 7,787 MW including 3,655 MW projects under various stages of implementation. It has an operational capacity of 4,132 MW, which includes 3,139 MW solar and 993 MW

Sonari airport powered through solar power with commissioning of 2.0 MWp

The entire operations of Tata Steel-owned Sonari Airport here will now be powered through solar energy with the commissioning of a ground-mounted solar power project of 2.0 MWp (Megawatt peak) capacity, a company statement said on Wednesday. The project commissioned on Monday has been commissioned by Tata Power under an agreement with Tata Steel for the installation of a total of 41 MW with a combination of rooftop, floating and ground-mounted solar panels across its locations. Earlier, four rooftop solar projects totalling 7.65 MWp have been commissioned at its Central Warehouse, Cold Rolling Mill, Wire Rod Mill and Hot Strip Mill. A floating solar power project of 10.8 MWp in Tata Steel Jamshedpur Works is also nearing completion.

SJVN Green Energy inks two pacts to supply 1,200 MW solar power to Punjab

State-owned SJVN Ltd on Monday said its arm SJVN Green Energy Ltd (SGEL) has inked two pacts with Punjab State Power Corporation to supply 1,200 MW of solar power from its projects. "SJVN signed two Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) for 1,200 MW solar power in the august presence of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann and Nand Lal Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, SJVN at Sangrur, Punjab, today (Monday)," a company statement said. According to the statement SJVN through its wholly-owned subsidiary SGEL has signed two PPAs (power purchase agreements) with Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) for 200 MW Solar Project(s) to be developed anywhere in Punjab and another for 1,000 MW Solar Project(s) to be developed anywhere in the country. "These projects shall be developed within 18 months on Build Own and Operate basis and will involve an investment of around Rs 7,000 crores," it stated. The letter of intent for these 1,200 MW projects was received from PSPCL on July 21, 2023. The projects

NTPC arm 'NTPC REL' gets letter of award for 550 MW solar project

NTPC on Monday said wholly-owned NTPC REL has received a letter of award (LoA) for a 550 megawatt (MW) solar project. The project is to be executed within a period of 18 months and will require a capital investment of Rs 2,800 crore, NTPC said in a statement. "NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) received the Letter of Award for 550 MW Solar Project at a tariff of Rs 2.56/kWh. The power will be utilised under a Government of India's scheme for flexibility in generation and scheduling of thermal power stations through bundling with RE capacity," it added. The statement did not provide further details of the project. With the allotment of this 550 MW capacity, NTPC REL will have to execute more than 2 GW RE capacity to fulfil the capacity won in TBCB (tariff-based competitive bidding) mode in Q1 2023 alone. As of date, NTPC Group has a 3.3 GW renewable energy (RE) operational capacity.

Solar Energy Corp proposes JV with Reliance to supply green energy

Solar Energy Corp, has offered oil-to-telecoms conglomerate Reliance Industries a 51% stake in a joint venture to supply renewable power to the latter's refineries and other manufacturing plants

Avaada Energy bags renewable energy project from Solar Energy Corp India

Avaada Energy on Monday said it has bagged a 280 megawatt renewable energy project from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). SECI is the nodal agency of the central government for auctioning renewable energy projects. "Avaada Energy has won the 280 MWp project under tariff-based competitive bidding carried out by SECI as a part of SECI's 2 GW ISTS (inter-state transmission system ) connected solar projects (Tranche XI)," the company said in a statement. The bidding allows flexibility to Avaada Energy to set up the solar power project anywhere in India and supply green electricity on long term at a tariff of Rs 2.61/kWh (kilowatt hour). The project will become operational within 18 months from the signing of power purchase agreement (PPA), it said. The company did not disclose any financial details related to the project. As per industry standards, Rs 6-7 crore is required to set up 1 MW of green energy capacity.

Group backed by Vikram Solar to invest $1.5 bn in new US factories

The announcement is the latest by an overseas manufacturer seeking to capitalize on incentives in President Joe Biden's landmark climate change law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)

Open access solar capacity addition falls 37% to 518 MW in Jan-Mar: Mercom

Open access solar capacity installations in the country fell by 37 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to 518 megawatt (MW) in the January-March period of this year, according to Mercom India. However, on a quarter-on-quarter (q-o-q) basis, the capacity addition was 68 per cent higher compared to 308 MW open access solar capacity installed in the October-December period of 2022, the research firm said in its latest report. "In Q1 of the calendar year (CY) 2023, India added 518 MW of solar open access, an increase of over 68 per cent compared to 308 MW installed in Q4 2022. Installations were down 37 per cent y-o-y over 825 MW in Q1 2022," the 'Q1 2023 Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report' said. Solar power through open access is an arrangement where a power producer establishes a solar power plant to supply green energy to consumers. As of March 2023, the country's pipeline of open access solar projects stood at 6.4 gigawatt (GW). In Q1 2023, Karnataka remained the leading state

SJVN partners Mahagenco for 5,000 MW green energy projects in Maharashtra

SJVN on Wednesday signed an agreement with Mahagenco to develop renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW) in Maharashtra. The MoU was signed by SJVN Director (Personnel) Geeta Kapur and Mahagenco CMD P Anablagan in the presence of Devendra Fadnavis -- Deputy Chief Minister and Power Minister of Maharashtra and State Principal Secretary Energy Abha Shukla, SJVN said in a statement. "Nand Lal Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, SJVN informed that the company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (Mahagenco) for the development of 5,000 MW Renewable Energy Projects in the state of Maharashtra," the company said. Under the pact, the companies will explore the feasibility of setting up various renewable projects in Maharashtra, including hydro, pumped storage projects, wind, solar, hybrid and green hydrogen projects, the CMD said. SJVN and Mahagenco will jointly participate in tenders floated by ...

Power Minister urges ISA to take up more solar energy projects in Africa

The two sides also took note of the success of Kenya in renewable energy and discussed the idea of holding a conference by ISA in Kenya

Solar energy dominant renewable tech as world moves to net-zero: R K Singh

The technology of solar energy generation is becoming more dominant as the world is moving towards net zero carbon emissions, Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy R K Singh said. "With every progressing year, the solar is becoming the more dominant renewable energy generation technology as the world moves towards net zero," the minister said at the standing committee meeting of the International Solar Alliance. The eighth meeting of the standing committee of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held in New Delhi on June 6, 2023 under the chairpersonship of Singh, in his capacity as the power minister of India, the current president of the ISA, said a statement from the new and renewable energy ministry. France as co-president of the ISA assembly was the co-chair of the meeting. Some representatives of member countries joined in person, while others joined the meeting online. The eighth meeting of the ISA standing committee discussed ISA demonstration projects .

Gaurs Group sets up 15 MW solar power plant in Madhya Pradesh at Rs 80 cr

Realty firm Gaurs Group has set up a 15 MW solar power plant near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh with an investment of Rs 80 crore. The electricity produced by the plant will be integrated into the central grid and utilised for its real estate projects, the company said in a statement. Delhi-NCR-based Gaurs Group has established a 15 MW solar power plant at Mahoba near Gwalior. The project is spread over a 50-acre area. "Built with an investment of Rs 80 crore, the plant will generate 2.25 crore units of electricity annually. The project's capacity can be enhanced as per future requirements," the statement said. The project has been financed through private equity and funding of Rs 55 crore from SBI. Manoj Gaur, Chairman and Managing Director of Gaurs Group, said the company has completed the 15 MW Mahoba solar power project and dedicated it to the nation on World Environment Day. "The minimum useful life of the plant is 26 years. However, it has the potential to operate beyond the ..

Kerala govt launches project to make capital largest solar city in India

A three-day expo was inaugurated by the Kerala government-run ANERT where the public can learn about and buy several solar energy systems