India added 13 GW of solar capacity in the calendar year (CY) 2022, a 27% increase year-over-year  compared to 10.2 GW installed in CY21. India’s cumulative installed solar capacity now stands at 63 GW, according to Mercom India Research’s newly released 2022 Q4 & Annual India Solar Market Update. Large-scale solar projects accounted for 87% of installations and saw a 33% surge YoY in CY22. India added 2.6 GW of solar in the fourth quarter) of 2022, a quarter-over-quarter drop of 2.5%. Installations were down 5% compared to 2.8 GW in the same period last year.

CIL Navikarniya Urja has invited bids to commission a 20 MW solar power project along with the associated transmission system in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The project should be commissioned within 12 months of receiving the work order. The successful bidder must also provide operation and maintenance services for the project for five years. The project’s estimated cost is ₹1.46 billion (~$17.62 million). The last date to submit the bids is March 14, 2023. Bids will be opened on the next day. Bidders must submit ₹5 million (~$60,384) as an earnest money deposit to participate in bidding.

Cleantech Solar has commissioned a 37 MW solar power project in Maharashtra to supply power to a global industrial manufacturing firm through open access under the captive model. The procurer will use the energy to power its facilities in the state. The commissioned project is part of Cleantech Solar’s 300 MW solar parks across Maharashtra. The long-term partnership between Cleantech Solar and the procurer will generate over 1.3 TWh of clean energy during the lifetime, accounting for a reduction of approximately 1,198 kilotons of carbon dioxide emissions.

GCL System Integration Technology is planning to invest nearly ¥2 billion (~$292 million) to build a high-efficiency solar module project with an annual capacity of 12 GW. The project will be financed from a mix of funds secured from commissions for building government projects, self-raised funds, loans from financial institutions, or project industry funds. It will be built in the Funing Economic Development Zone in Jiangsu province and is expected to increase the company’s competitiveness and profitability. The project is expected to go into operation before October 30, 2023.

The government has invoked the emergency provision in the Electricity Act to direct all imported coal-based power plants to run at full capacity and ensure the availability of electricity to meet the anticipated peak power demand. The Ministry of Power has issued guidelines to increase the availability of supply for procurement of power from the untied capacity of imported coal-based plants. The power plants have been asked to blend imported coal with domestic coal. The guidelines will be valid from March 16, 2023, to June 15, 2023.

Two ports on India’s east coast and one port on the west coast will be developed by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterway as hydrogen hubs under the Green Shipping Initiative as part of the Maritime India Vision 2030. Union Minister for Ports and Shipping Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Paradip Port in Odisha, Deendayal Port in Gujarat and V.O.Chidambaranar Port in Tamil Nadu will be developed for handling, storage and green hydrogen generation to cater to India’s hydrogen production goals by 2030.

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation Sinopec launched its first green hydrogen demonstration project with an investment of ¥5.7 billion (~$828 million) in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region recently. The project named “Inner Mongolia Erdos wind-solar green hydrogen project” is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 1.43 million tons annually and contribute ¥600 million (~$87.17 million) to Gross Domestic Product. The installed generating capacity of wind and solar power will reach 450 MW and 270 MW, respectively.