India

Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments Limited (REIL) has invited bids for setting up of 1.7 MW (AC) grid-connected solar PV projects with battery storage in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The projects—to be implemented on turnkey basis in Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep)—would be awarded through competitive bidding followed by reverse auction.

Amid the hubbub surrounding India’s renewable energy ambitions, few people have likely heard the last wails of a critically endangered great Indian bustard as it chars to death on a power transmission line or fatally collides with a wind turbine.

Not many people know it, but DuPont’s India connection goes back to 1802, when the company started importing raw materials from the country for its first product: black powder for explosives for its plant in the United States. In 1974, it opened its first liaison office in India, while its first wholly owned subsidiary in the country was set up 20 years later. Today, DuPont India has a significant local footprint across a range of market segments in India, including solar PV.

Tata Power will set up rooftop solar projects for Indraprastha Gas Limited (IGL) establishments. The two companies will also explore the feasibility of large-scale ‘group captive’ solar power projects for IGL’s own consumption, and commercial-scale charging and/or battery swapping stations for electric vehicles.

Bolivia will provide India with access to its lithium carbonate, and also facilitate joint ventures for lithium battery/cell production plants in India. The partnership will provide a major fillip to India’s ambitious e-mobility plans.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGTR) has concluded that the imposition of a duty, in the range of $537-1,559/metric ton, is required to offset the injury caused by imports of solar ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) sheets from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand. The harshest penalty—$1,559/metric ton (MT)—has been imposed on sheets supplied from any Saudi manufacturer other than Saudi Specialized Products.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs is approaching Chinese authorities, demanding CSUN Trading and CEEG Solar Science to meet the contractual obligations to the Indian companies and also to honour the arbitration award. Further, it has cautioned Indian stakeholders against procuring PV modules from these high-risk companies that have over 160 court cases against them—mostly for breach of contract.

The two state-owned units will jointly pursue commercial solar power projects through participation in tariff/viability gap funding (VGF) based competitive bidding.

Nevertheless, bringing down aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses would be key to stabilising the power sector in India. Additionally, measures like smart-metering should be expedited and implemented in a time-bound manner, suggest the ratings agency analysts.

To avail the waiver, the solar or wind project capacity should have been awarded through competitive bidding and commissioned between February 13, 2018 and March 31, 2022.