Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has granted a timeline extension until September 30, 2024, for solar power projects (Tranche I and Tranche II) under Phase II of the Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) program implemented by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The extension would be granted to projects whose scheduled commissioning date is before September 30, 2024. The extension has been given on account of the supply chain disruptions in the solar sector. The auction for Tranche I was held in September 2019, and the auction for Tranche II was held in January 2020. The MNRE also granted a timeline extension until September 30, 2024, to solar power projects (Tranche III) under Phase II of the CPSU program implemented by the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) on the same grounds. IREDA conducted the auction for Tranche III in September last year.

Jakson Green, an energy transition platform backed by the Jakson Group, bagged the engineering, procurement, and construction order for a 121 MW solar power project from Amplus Solar. Jakson Green will construct the project in Bikaner, Rajasthan, in nearly eight months using about 3,000 single-axis trackers and over 224,448 monocrystalline bifacial solar modules rated 540W. The completed facility will be as large as 386 football fields and is expected to offset over 3.1 million tons of CO2 annually, equivalent to removing 558,100 fuel-engine cars off the road. The project will provide power to commercial and industrial customers on a long-term basis, encouraging the adoption of green energy in India.

The Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) has established a subsidiary called the International Carbon Exchange to facilitate its trading in the voluntary carbon market. The goal of this subsidiary is to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030 and help achieve the target of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees. The exchange platform is expected to provide a strong market signal for investing in sustainable projects and help companies efficiently allocate their capital expenditures towards energy transition.

Larsen & Toubro (L&T), through its power transmission and distribution business, bagged multiple engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) orders in India and overseas. The renewables arm of L&T received an EPC order to develop a 90 MW floating solar project at the Omkareshwar dam reservoir in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. The company has also been hired to develop distribution infrastructure in western Uttar Pradesh as part of the revamped reforms-linked distribution program. L&T also received an order to establish 400 kV and 225 kV transmission lines in North Africa and to build a 132 kV substation in the coastal town of Bintulu in Sarawak, Malaysia.

NTPC signed a memorandum of understanding with Tecnimont, the Indian subsidiary of Maire Tecnimont Group, Italy,  to evaluate the feasibility of developing commercial-scale green methanol production facilities at NTPC projects in India. The green methanol project involves capturing carbon from NTPC power plants and converting it into a green fuel with numerous applications, including serving as a base material for the chemical industry, storing renewable electricity, and even being used as a transportation fuel. It is also considered a substitute fuel for maritime fuel applications.