Gujarat added the sixth-highest solar open access capacity in Q2 2024, according to Mercom’s Q2 2024 India Solar Open Access Market Report. In Q2 of 2024, about 1.8 GW of solar open access capacity was added in the country, a marginal 2.5% drop QoQ and up nearly 152% year over year (YoY). Gujarat contributed 9.2% to the quarterly capacity additions, with wind-solar hybrid power projects comprising over 36% of the state’s installations. However, the installations were 56.9% lower YoY and 9.9% QoQ. The commissioning of a substantial capacity of solar and wind-solar hybrid power projects was delayed as several developers in the state awaited a potential exemption from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers, which never materialized.

For three days in August 2024, India’s electricity grid witnessed persistent high frequency above the ceiling of 50.05 Hz for 26% to 38% of the time. All three days were Sundays when power demand usually drops. The contributing factors were the over-injection of solar and wind energy, limited flexibility from hydropower stations, and pumped storage plants due to high inflows and high reservoir levels. Inadequate flexibility of intra-state thermal generating stations and under-drawal, insufficient liquidity in the day-ahead and real-time markets (DAM/RTM) in the power exchanges, resulting in states committing more units, also added to the challenges. A report by the Grid Controller of India said grid frequency remained above the 50.05 Hz limit for 226, 120, and 258 minutes on August 4, 11, and 25, respectively, during solar hours.

The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has released draft regulations for procuring energy from renewable sources. The “Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (Procurement of Energy from Renewable Sources) Regulations, 2024” aim to align the state’s renewable energy targets with national goals and promote sustainable energy development. The GERC has invited stakeholders to submit feedback on the draft regulations by October 18, 2024. A public hearing to discuss the draft regulations further is scheduled for October 25, 2024. The draft regulations introduce a comprehensive renewable power purchase obligation (RPPO) framework for obligated entities, including distribution licensees and large consumers.

The Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has released draft regulations titled “RERC (Terms and Conditions for Green Energy Open Access) Regulations, 2024” to promote renewable energy adoption and streamline green energy open access in the state. The RERC has invited stakeholders to submit suggestions and comments on the draft regulations by October 18, 2024. The draft regulations propose that consumers with a minimum contract demand or sanctioned load of 100 kW are eligible for green energy open access. There is no load limit for captive consumers. The regulations cover various renewable energy sources, including hydro, pumped storage, energy storage systems, municipal solid waste-to-energy, biomass, and bagasse-based cogeneration.

PFC Consulting has invited bids to select a transmission service provider to set up an inter-state transmission system at Fatehgarh-II PS, Fatehgarh-IV PS (SEC-II), and Barmer-I PS in Rajasthan to integrate an additional 10 GW of renewable energy. The last day to submit the bids is December 3, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day. Bidders must furnish a non-refundable fee of ₹500,000 (~$5,956) towards the documents cost. They must also remit a bid bond of ₹90 million (~$1.07 million). Selected bidders must submit ₹225 million (~$2.68 million) as a contract performance guarantee within ten days from the date of issue of the letter of intent.

H2e Power Systems has won Oil India’s tender to establish a 1 MW green hydrogen project in Himachal Pradesh. The project is expected to be commissioned within 18 months of receiving the letter of award. In December 2023, Oil India invited bids to establish the 1 MW green hydrogen project in the state with a 17 kg/hr generation capacity. The company uses an h2e steam electrolysis system based on solid oxide fuel cell technology, showing lower onsite hydrogen production costs than legacy technologies. The hydrogen output can vary between 0 and 125%. The overall supply of green hydrogen will be accounted for quarterly, based on the green hydrogen production guaranteed in the offer.

Dalmia Cement (Bharat), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dalmia Bharat, will procure up to 11 MW of solar power as a captive consumer from Bijlee Kandasamy in Tamil Nadu. Bijlee Kandasamy is a special purpose vehicle to set up the solar power project on a captive basis. Dalmia Cement has entered into a share subscription and shareholder agreement to acquire 25.38% of Bijlee Kandasamy’s equity. The acquisition consists of 3.03 million equity shares aggregating to an investment of ₹33 million (~$393,029) to be made in one or more tranches. The transaction is expected to be completed within two months. The project is part of Dalmia Cement’s efforts to achieve its RE100 goals by 2030 and turn carbon negative by 2040.

Technology company Google has partnered with clean energy companies Adani Group and CleanMax Enviro Energy Solutions (CleanMax) to power its offices in India with renewable energy. Under the agreement, CleanMax will develop a 125.4 MW wind-solar hybrid project for Google. The project comprises 66 MW of solar power in Rajasthan and 59.4 MW of wind power in Karnataka. These projects are expected to start commercial operations in the fourth quarter of 2025 and generate an estimated 350,000 million kWh of carbon-free energy annually. The projects will be connected to India’s national grid. The two companies said the projects will support the decarbonization of Google’s cloud services and offices across India, aligning with Google’s goal to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy on every grid where it operates by 2030.

THDC India has invited expressions of interest to empanel technical consulting agencies to prepare detailed project reports (DPR) for ground-mounted and rooftop solar power projects across India for three years. The empanelment period may be extendable by two years. The last day to submit the bids is November 4, 2024. Bids will be opened the same day. The empanelment will be done for two categories: i) ground-mounted solar power projects up to 100 MW and ii) ground-mounted solar power projects beyond 100 MW and up to 500 MW. Empanelled agencies for ground-mounted solar projects will also be eligible for rooftop solar projects.

Greater Noida-based solar module manufacturer Alpex Solar has announced it is investing ₹6.42 billion (~$73.4 million) to set up a 1.6 GW solar cell manufacturing facility. The company’s entry into solar cell production complements its existing solar PV module and aluminum frame manufacturing operations. The new solar cell plant will be constructed at the company’s recently acquired seven-acre land in Kosi Kotwan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The expansion will be completed in three phases, with the first 500 MW expected to come on stream by October 2025. The remaining two phases will be completed by April 2026 and September 2026, respectively.

The Asian Development Bank will invest $25 million in a certified climate bond issue by Vivriti Capital. The proceeds will be used to finance companies engaged in sectors including electric vehicles, solar and wind energy, and waste management. At least 30% of the funds will be specifically allocated to electric vehicle financing, including charging stations and battery swapping stations. The initiative aims to enhance access to climate finance for underserved enterprises, including micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, mid-market corporates, and retail clients across the country. The investment is expected to have a significant impact on India’s nascent green bond market.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has announced preliminary duties on crystalline photovoltaic cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. This move follows investigations into countervailing duties stemming from concerns that manufacturers in these countries benefit from unfair government subsidies. These duties are part of a larger effort to address concerns about unfair government subsidies in these countries. The U.S. solar industry has experienced a significant surge in imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam over the past three years. Imports from Cambodia rose from 799 million watts in 2021 ($218 million) to 6.72 billion watts ($2.31 billion) in 2023.