ICRA downgrades 1.9 GW of wind, solar projects amid headwinds
Continuing delays in payments from utilities, regulatory uncertainty on tariff matters and tight financing have hit the industry hard.
Ministry issues bidding guidelines for solar-wind hybrid projects
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has suggested minimum 25-year power purchase agreements and also opened up the option of including energy storage in solar-wind hybrid generation projects procured under its public tender regime.
Manufacturing-linked solar tender scaled up to 7 GW
Solar generation capacity aggregating to 7 GW—as against 6 GW earlier—will now be awarded against setting up of 2 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. Tariff ceiling has also been increased to Rs2.93/kWh, from Rs2.75, for a period of 25 years. Bids can be submitted till October 31.
MNRE refutes CRISIL report casting doubt on achievement of ‘175 GW by 2022’ target
“The CRISIL report is neither factually correct nor takes into account initiatives taken by the MNRE to facilitate accelerated development and deployment of renewable energy in the country. India will not only meet 175 GW target but exceed it by 2022”—stated the ministry.
Global bill for replacement inverters and other solar maintenance could hit $9.4bn by 2024
This year will see strong growth for the global PV market, to 114 GW, and that pattern will continue in the years ahead, according to analyst Wood Mackenzie. A report has highlighted soaring inverter replacement costs for PV project owners as a side-effect of the solar success story.
“Solar curtailment in Andhra Pradesh, a willful violation,” NSEFI writes to power minister
Plant load factor for thermal power generators ramped up to 70-80% between July 2019 till date while solar power projects were arbitrarily backed down by more than 60-70% of their operational capacity during the same period.
India to fall well short of 175 GW renewables target
A report by Indian ratings agency CRISIL points to a rising rate of tender failures, an inconsistent policy approach from central and state governments and restrictive solar energy tariff caps and says India could have just 104 GW of renewables capacity by 2022.
Another bidding extension for 275 MW Uttar Pradesh tender
The state government has set a solar power target of 10,700 MW by 2022 and 23,500 MW by 2030. The latest extension by Solar Energy Corporation of India is second in line for the 275 MW project which was announced in August.
Australia’s Townsville battery gigafactory reaches new milestone
Plans to develop an 18 GWh lithium-ion battery factory in northern Queensland have reached an important milestone with the project feasibility study submitted to the Queensland government.
German-led group wins bid to set up 50 MW solar plant in Bangladesh
Developer ib vogt beat rival Scatec Solar to land the contract for a project which will sell solar electricity to the Bangladeshi government for $0.1094/kWh for 20 years.
