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					</table>Khanij Bidesh India (<a href="https://mines.gov.in/webportal/content/kabil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KABIL</a>) has signed an agreement with the Argentina-based mining company Catamarca Minera Y Energetica Sociedad Del Estado (<a href="https://camyen.catamarca.gob.ar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CAMYEN SE</a>) for the exploration and development of five lithium brine blocks, as the South Asian nation looks to secure supply of the soft metal used in batteries of everything from electric vehicles to smartphones.
The government claimed this to be the first-ever lithium exploration and mining project by a government company of India and aims to bring in technical &amp; operational experience for brine-type lithium exploration, exploitation, and extraction.
The brines, located in the Catamarca province of Argentina, cover an area of about 15,703 hectares. The project is expected to cost about ₹2 billion ($24 million), KABIL said in a statement.
Brines containing lithium, such as those found in salt flats or underground reservoirs, are pumped up to the surface and then spread in large shallow ponds for evaporation, thus increasing the lithium concentration of the brine, which is then processed to extract the metal. This is different from mining, where lithium stored in rocks is processed for extraction.
KABIL is a government company set up to identify, acquire, develop, process, and make commercial use of strategic minerals in overseas locations for supply in India. It will set up a branch office in Catamarca, Argentina.
Argentina is part of the “Lithium Triangle” along with Chile and Bolivia, with more than half of the world’s total lithium resources.
Lithium’s strategic importance in the transition to a greener economy has prompted the Indian government to secure its own supply of the metal.
Last year in May, India <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/large-lithium-discovered-in-rajasthan-gsi-officials" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> its own deposits of lithium in the state of Rajasthan. The deposits are said to be large enough to meet 80% of India’s lithium demand.
According to a World Bank report, the global demand for lithium will increase by 500% by 2050.
The Ministry of Heavy Industries is in the process of setting up 50 GWh of Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) capacity for energy storage under the Performance Linked Incentives program. It has already allocated 30 GWh of capacity and recently announced that it would <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ministry-retender-20-gwh-battery-pli" target="_blank" rel="noopener">re-issue</a> the tender for manufacturing the unallocated 20 GWh.

India Signs ₹2 Billion Lithium Exploration Pact with Argentina

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					</table>Wind projects could shore up revenue and jobs for the economies of Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Indonesia, and Morocco which have a combined potential of 3.5 GW, Global Wind Energy Council (<a href="https://gwec.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GWEC</a>) said in a recent report.
These countries can generate additional revenues of  $12.5 billion and create 130,000 full-time equivalent work years over the next five years by tapping into the vast potential of wind energy.
However, these countries can achieve the full potential of wind capacity addition if they dismantle the barriers of policy frameworks, transmission infrastructure, and permitting programs. It would help them expedite their capacity addition and rake in higher benefits.
Argentina
Argentina has 3.3 GW of installed onshore wind capacity and is projected to install around 300 MW per year under normal circumstances from 2023 to 2027.
In an expedited scenario, Argentina could potentially install 31% more onshore wind energy capacity in the next five years.
This increase in wind energy capacity could lead to a 57% rise in full-time equivalent jobs, creating 64,000 new positions in the sector.
Additionally, it could contribute to a 45% increase in the country&#8217;s gross value, generating over $1 billion in additional economic activity.
To accelerate the shift towards wind energy, the report recommends several measures such as allowing revenue and profits from wind projects to be expatriated in dollars, incentivizing small and medium-sized decentralized projects through the RenovAr program, improving industry visibility by establishing an auction pipeline with a 3-4 year timeframe, and increasing coordination between grid development and future energy generation plans.
Colombia
Colombia has a mere 23 MW of installed onshore wind capacity, with GWEC projecting that it will install between 300-800 MW per year under a normal scenario from 2023 to 2027.
In an accelerated scenario, Colombia could install 44% more onshore wind energy capacity in the next five years. This increase in wind energy could lead to almost 150,000 new full-time equivalent jobs and a remarkable 77% increase in the country&#8217;s gross value, generating an extra $3 billion in economic activity.
To accelerate the shift towards wind energy, the report recommends improving industry visibility by establishing an auction pipeline with a 3-4 year timeframe, simplifying the permitting, environmental, and social licensing process, increasing government spending commitments directed at grid modernization and expansion, promoting a reliable operation and preventing bottlenecks, and continuing to strengthen dialogue between the government and renewable energy stakeholders.
Egypt
Egypt has 1,700 MW of installed onshore wind capacity, with GWEC forecasting that it will install between 250-700 MW per year under normal circumstances between 2023 to 2027.
In the expedited scenario, Egypt could potentially install 45% more onshore wind energy capacity in the next five years, representing an additional 1.15 GW, 164,000 full-time equivalent jobs, and potentially more than $2 billion for the economy.
To accelerate the transition towards wind energy, the report recommends that the government continue to increase or at least maintain the tariffs that support wind energy, accelerate the electrification of transport and industry, and increase interconnections between neighboring countries. Additionally, the report suggests allowing private offtake agreements for larger wind projects.
Indonesia
Indonesia has 150 MW of installed onshore wind capacity, with GWEC predicting an installation rate of around 75-100 MW per year under normal circumstances between 2023 to 2027.
However, under an accelerated transition scenario, Indonesia&#8217;s onshore wind energy capacity by 26% over the next five years, adding an extra 115 MW of green electricity and creating a sector that employs more than 50,000 people, an increase of 50%.
To accelerate the transition towards wind energy, the report recommends that the government commission a government-funded study to establish optimal locations for wind energy projects and ringfence those locations for wind development only.
It also suggests increasing government spending commitments directed towards grid modernization and expansion to promote a reliable operation and prevent bottlenecks. Finally, the report recommends promoting energy mix diversification and competitive procurement processes to ensure low-cost renewable energy supply meets decarbonization commitments.
Morocco
Morocco has 1,512 MW of installed onshore wind capacity and is expected to install about 200-510 MW per year under a business-as-usual scenario from 2023 to 2027.
However, under an accelerated transition scenario, Morocco could install 43% more onshore wind energy capacity in the next five years. This means the country could add an extra 638 MW of capacity, creating another 75,000 jobs and generating over $1 billion in additional economic activity.
To accelerate wind energy development in Morocco, some recommendations are to equalize grid costs for independent power producers and ONEE, allow wind and solar projects to share grid connection points, use Morocco&#8217;s green hydrogen targets to further incentivize wind energy production, and facilitate power purchase agreement matchmaking.
A previous report in early 2022 <a href="https://mercomindia.com/wind-can-pump-18-billion-gross-value/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">studied</a> the socioeconomic benefits for Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa, and The Philippines. The study found that typically a 1 GW/year installation rate over five years could unlock $18 billion in gross value added to the national economies of these countries over wind farms&#8217; lifetime.
According to GWEC, onshore wind installations in India is <a href="https://mercomindia.com/onshore-wind-installations-in-india-forecasted/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecasted</a> at 4.1 GW in 2023.

Expedited Wind Projects to Help Developing Economies Generate Revenue and Jobs

Two new countries, Argentina and Saudi Arabia, have signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (<a href="https://isolaralliance.org/Index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISA</a>), joining hands with India towards a common goal of sustainability.
The ISA is an <a href="https://mercomindia.com/isa-international-intergovernmental-organization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian initiative</a> that was jointly launched by Prime Minister Modi and French President Hollande on November 30, 2015, in Paris, on the sidelines of COP21, the UN Climate Conference. On <a href="https://mercomindia.com/isa-international-intergovernmental-organization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December 6, 2017</a>, ISA became a treaty-based international intergovernmental organization after Guinea ratified the organization’s framework agreement.
As of now, a total of 73 countries have signed the framework agreement of the ISA.
The agreement between Argentina and ISA was signed on the sidelines of the Argentinian President Mauricio Macri’s official visit to India.
&#8220;A new partner in the Alliance. Argentina becomes the 72nd country to sign the Framework Agreement&#8221;, Raveesh Kumar, Spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs tweeted shortly after the signing event.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12801" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance.jpg" alt="" width="862" height="593" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance.jpg 862w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance-600x413.jpg 600w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance-768x528.jpg 768w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance-650x447.jpg 650w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/New-Partner-in-the-alliance-624x429.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 862px) 100vw, 862px" /></a>
Saudi Arabia also signed the framework agreement of ISA during the official visit of Mohammed Bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, to India.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-12802" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance.jpg" alt="" width="870" height="696" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance.jpg 870w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance-600x480.jpg 600w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance-300x240.jpg 300w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance-768x614.jpg 768w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance-650x520.jpg 650w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/isolaralliance-624x499.jpg 624w" sizes="(max-width: 870px) 100vw, 870px" /></a>
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/isa-eu-join-hands-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recently,</a> Mercom reported that <a href="https://isolaralliance.org/Index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISA</a> and the European Union had signed a joint declaration for cooperation on solar energy. The declaration was inked at the 24th conference of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Katowice, Poland.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/isa-opens-membership-un-member-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In November 2018</a>, the Indian government had submitted a resolution to the first assembly of the <a href="http://isolaralliance.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ISA</a> for the amendments in the framework agreement to open ISA membership to all the countries that are members of the United Nations.
Before the resolution, the ISA mandate addressed overcoming the obstacles to deploying solar energy at scale through the improved harmonization and aggregation of demand from solar-rich countries located fully or partially between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/isa-conference-india-pledges-1-4-billion-solar-projects-developing-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earlier</a>, at the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/isa-international-intergovernmental-organization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inaugural</a> conference of the ISA held in New Delhi, the Government of India pledged $1.4 billion to fund the development of solar projects in 15 African and South Asian countries that are part of the ISA consortium.

Argentina and Saudi Arabia Sign Framework Agreement of International Solar Alliance

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