The government-owned renewable energy intermediary procurer Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will soon enter the market for delivering renewable energy solutions through open access to the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment – an area that has been the exclusive domain of private developers, thus far.

Bengaluru-headquartered Rajesh Exports, through its subsidiary ACC Energy Storage, has signed an agreement with the Union Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Karnataka government’s Department of Industries and Commerce for a 5 GWh lithium-ion cell factory in Karnataka. The company has been selected by the Indian government as one of the three successful participants in the ₹181 billion (~$2.2 billion) production-linked incentive (PLI) program to produce advanced chemistry lithium-ion cells.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued an updated list of models and module manufacturers under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) order to include 83 module manufacturers with 20.98 GW of listed module capacity. The list was updated with 14 new manufacturers.

Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy R.K. Singh has advised states to ensure that no penalty is levied on any consumer for higher load discovered after the installation of prepaid smart meters. At a review planning and monitoring meeting with states and state power utilities this week, Singh asserted that the billing for consumers who have installed prepaid smart meters be done on an actual load basis.

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) has invited bids to procure 350 MW of solar power from projects to be developed in the state. MSEDCL has set a ceiling tariff of ₹3.20 (~$0.039)/kWh for the tender. The last date to submit the bids online is February 27, 2023. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The Gujarat Urban Development Company (GUDC) has invited bids to commission 2027.78 kW solar projects across six urban local bodies in Gujarat. The projects’ estimated cost is ₹154.64 million (~$1.9 million). The projects must be commissioned within three months of issuing notice to proceed. GUDC intends to set up 627.48 kW at Mansa, 300 kW at Idar, 99.9 kW at Prantij, 475 kW at Bhuj, 425.52 kW at Gandhidham, and 99.9 kW at Mandvi Rural.

To project Rajasthan as an attractive investment destination, the Rajasthan government has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for nearly ₹1.23 trillion (~$15.77 billion) of renewable energy projects under the Invest Rajasthan program. The agreements were signed for 14 projects proposed by both public sector and private companies in the renewable energy sector.

ACME Group and Norwegian investment fund Norfund will co-invest in the development of greenfield renewable power projects in India. Norfund invests in developing countries and manages the Norwegian Climate Investment Fund.

Pune-based solar cold storage solutions provider Ecozen has raised $25 million in equity and debt capital in its series C round as it looks beyond agriculture to expand into new climate deep-technology fields. The company is looking to accelerate the broader energy transition through its deep-tech expertise in energy storage, motor controls, and analytics.

U.S.-based Hecate Energy, a developer of renewable projects and provider of energy storage solutions, closed a five-year $550 million credit facility package, including a $250 million term loan and $300 million Letter of Credit facility. The credit facility will support Hecate’s plans to expand its solar and energy storage project pipeline.