India saw a surge in solar open access installations with the addition of 907 MW in the third quarter of 2023, a 36.1% increase over 666 MW in the previous quarter, according to the recently published Q3 2023 Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report. The installations showed a growth of 20.6% from the 752 MW installed in the same quarter in 2022. Maharashtra added the most capacity (26.5%), followed by Karnataka (20.3%) and Tamil Nadu (19.5%). The top five states collectively accounted for 88.5% of the installations during the quarter. As of September 2023, the country’s total open-access solar capacity reached 11 GW.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation has invited bids to design, engineer, supply, construct, erect, test, and commission a 100 MW solar power project at Galiveedu village in the Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh. The scope of work also includes five years of operations and maintenance of the project. The last date for the submission of bids is December 15, 2023. The selected bidder must submit a security deposit equal to 1% of the total contract value within 15 days of receiving the acceptance notification for the tender.

Mercom India will host a webinar on December 12, 2023, where industry experts will discuss the factors involved in optimally sizing solar photovoltaic (PV) inverters for diverse locations and temperatures and achieving higher performance. The webinar – Optimal Sizing of PV Inverters for Robust Performance in High Ambient Temperatures – will also cover the approaches that must be considered to achieve effective cost, efficiency, and reliability of solar inverters.

Mumbai-based Himadri Speciality Chemical is setting up a facility in Odisha to produce Lithium-ion Battery (LiB) components with a total annual production capacity of 200,000 MT and an estimated project cost of ₹48 billion (~$575.87 million) over a period of five to six years. This investment will be made largely from internal accruals and debt. The company aims to produce Lithium Iron Phosphate Cathode Active Material, catering to 100 GWh of LiB capacity by 2030. In phase I, the manufacturing capacity will be 40,000 MT, at an investment of ₹11.25 billion (~$134.94 million). Operations are scheduled to begin in the next 27 to 36 months.

Uniqus Consultech has acquired Goodera’s global business that helps corporates manage their sustainability programs by automating the collection, maintenance, and approval of their ESG data. Uniqus, based in the U.S., India, and the Middle East, is a tech-enabled platform offering ESG accounting and reporting consulting. The acquisition, part of Uniqus’ strategy to integrate technology to address client needs, will strengthen its ESG practice and serve the $10 billion ESG market.

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar, along with Taaleri Energia, a Finland-based renewable energy developer, have acquired eight hybrid renewable energy projects in Poland with a combined capacity of 1 GW from Domrel Biuro Usług Inwestycyjnych. The projects are under construction and will deploy solar photovoltaic and onshore wind technologies. Once in operation, they are expected to power 223,000 households and offset 1.8 million tons of carbon dioxide annually. The parties did not disclose the acquisition amount.