Tata Power Issues EoI for 500 MW Renewable Energy Procurement

Month in a Minute: Top Headlines from the Indian Renewable Sector in December 2024

Punjab Mandi Board Floats Tender for 9.6 MW Rooftop Solar Projects

CERC Rejects Tariff for SECI’s 1,000 MWh BESS Project

Airtel to Procure Power from Amp Energy’s 50 MW Wind-Solar Hybrid Project

DISCOMs Owed Power Generators ₹673 Billion in December 2024

Altra Xergi Power Wins SECI’s 8,000 MWh FDRE VI Auction

CREDA Floats Tender for 20 MW Rooftop Solar Projects in Chhattisgarh

ITI Invites Bids for 738,000 Polycrystalline Solar Cells

Daily News Wrap-Up: GERC Approves PPA for Procuring 9 MW Hybrid Power

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					</table>Mercom India conducted a series of exclusive interviews with top executives from the renewable energy sector and government agencies, bringing out their insights on the industry and the way forward.
Here is a look back at some impactful interviews that delve into renewable energy policies, the rooftop solar sector, smart metering innovations, commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) solutions, and parametric insurance for the renewables sector.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/conducive-policies-key-for-energy-in-india-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Supportive Policies for Corporates to Adopt Renewable Energy: Climate Group</a>
Several large companies have signed up to RE100, a global corporate renewable energy initiative bringing together hundreds of businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. In India, the RE100 program is driven by the Climate Group.
In this exclusive interview with Mercom India, Divya Sharma, India Executive Director of Climate Group, outlines Climate Group’s activities in India, including the progress achieved under the RE100 program and other decarbonization initiatives aimed at reducing emissions by industries in various sectors.
Discussing Climate Group’s initiatives in India and the participation by Indian companies in RE100, she said, “We’ve been in India for over 15 years, worked with 15 governments, and engaged with more than 190 businesses. We believe in the power of collective action. We’ve brought governments and companies together to drive climate action where emissions are highest. We’ve been running large initiatives on renewable energy procurement (RE100), energy productivity (EP100), decarbonization of the steel industry (SteelZero), and making electric vehicles the new norm (EV100 and EV100+ for medium to heavy-duty vehicles).”
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/parametric-insurance-for-weather-risks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parametric Insurance for Weather Risks in Renewable Energy: WRMS Global</a>
Weather vagaries can adversely impact wind and solar generation. Weather-based parametric risk insurance is gradually gaining ground in India’s renewable energy sector.
In an exclusive interview with Mercom India, Sarathy Srinivas, Head of International Projects, <a href="https://wrmsglobal.com/">WRMS</a>, shares his insights on parametric insurance and his company’s insurance offerings for the renewable energy sector.
Talking about how parametric insurance help mitigate the adverse financial impact of weather-vagaries in the renewable energy sector, he said, “Parametric insurance helps mitigate revenue volatility and ensures operational resilience by providing swift payouts during extreme weather events, reducing the financial burden and risk associated with power generation interruptions. Using advanced data technologies, such as real-time monitoring and historical data analysis, parametric insurance delivers timely, dependable financial responses that enhance the viability and resilience of renewable energy investments, making the sector more resilient against climate challenges.”
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indian-rooftop-solar-inflection-point-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Future of Indian Rooftop Solar Sector: SolarSquare</a>
In an exclusive interview with Mercom India, Shreya Mishra, Co-Founder of SolarSquare, a residential rooftop solar solutions firm, explains how recent programs for accelerating rooftop solar installations are driving the market and what policy modifications in certain states could help for wider adoption of rooftop solar.
She elaborates on the installation process and the factors customers should consider when installing a rooftop solar system.
She believes that the PM Surya Ghar Yojana is an example of governance excellence.
Discussing steps that the government can take to streamline and achieve its 40 GW target by March 2026, she said, “To further bolster this program, the most important enabler now will be further easing solar approvals in every state. Currently, in many states, there is still scope for improvement in the approval process. It can take up to 60 days for a consumer to get all approvals and have the solar system up and running. The best approval process is in Gujarat, where the whole process can be completed in just 15-25 days. To make India’s #HarGharSolar dream a reality, solar approvals for homes and residential welfare associations should be 100% online, paperless, and fast-tracked. This will be very important if we want grassroots adoption of solar in every district and city.”
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/serentica-to-provide-a-mix-of-renewables-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Providing Uninterrupted Green Power Through a Mix of Renewables: Serentica</a>
In an exclusive interview with Mercom India, Akshay Hiranandani, CEO of renewable energy developing company, Serentica Renewables, delves into the company’s plans for installing 4 GW of green energy projects, their customer-centric approach, financing strategies, challenges in the green energy open access market, and insights into the future growth trajectory of this dynamic sector.
Talking about Serentica’s plan to differentiate itself in the market, he said, “Through a mix of solar, wind, long-duration, and short-duration energy storage technologies, along with digital tools for optimization, we ensure customized and efficient energy solutions for our industrial customers.”
He said Serentica is addressing the critical need for uninterrupted electricity in industries such as metals and mining, oil and gas, cement, pharmaceuticals, and textiles.
“Moreover, our shift in procurement strategy, transitioning from conventional power purchase agreements to service level agreements (SLAs), showcases our dedication to adaptability and our ability to respond promptly to customer requirements. The diversity lies in our ability to connect these industries to the central grid, facilitating a transition from state routes to centralized power supply. This specialization is particularly valuable for industries requiring a large quantum of power, as our expertise ensures a stable and reliable energy supply and strategically builds a project development pipeline of an additional 4 GW that will enable us to deliver power within 12 to 15 months of power purchase agreement signing,” said Hiranandani.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/2024-watershed-year-smart-metering-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> A Watershed Year for Smart Power Metering: Airtel Business (India)</a>
Smart meters are a critical component of the government’s power sector reforms and are expected to contribute significantly to improving the billing and collection efficiencies of distribution companies.
In an exclusive interview with Mercom, Ganesh Lakshminarayanan, CEO of Airtel Business (India), shares his thoughts about smart metering solutions in India’s power sector and Airtel’s offerings in the smart metering space.
Lakshminarayanan informed that Airtel connects 27.9 million devices on its network across multiple use cases, including smart metering. He said, “Airtel empowers all its IoT customers with the Airtel IoT Hub, a platform to centrally manage and control the SIMs and devices deployed on the field. The platform gives customers complete control of all aspects of the SIM lifecycle – provisioning, billing and payment, network configuration, issue management, and support – and is at the core of our engagement with IoT customers. We are also building an ‘IoT-grade’ network, which means that our network is being designed to support the scale and behavior of IoT devices. We are investing in rolling out our Narrowband IoT network, which is geared towards low throughput devices such as smart meters, which require deep indoor and rural coverage. We are using these strategic investments in our IoT platform and network to build differentiated offerings for our smart metering customers.”
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/30-40-gw-open-access-green-energy-4-5-years-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Opportunities and Challenges of Renewables in C&amp;I: BluPine Energy</a>
In an exclusive interview with Mercom India, Rahul Mishra, Senior VP and Head of C&amp;I at BluPine Energy, shared his views on the recent trends in the green energy open access market and the C&amp;I energy transition in India.
Mishra spoke about the current opportunities and challenges the C&amp;I segment consumers must consider when transitioning to renewables.
Discussing the challenges that hinders C&amp;I consumers from transitioning to green energy, he said, “A primary obstacle hindering the transition to green energy is the regulatory framework, which frequently restricts the amount of energy sourced from renewable sources. These regulations differ among states and can substantially impact the extent to which C&amp;I consumers can embrace renewable energy.”
Mishra stated that the energy market is slowly embracing hybrid solutions, where real-time settlements of renewable energy displace approximately 70% to 80% of current consumer consumption. The progress and adoption of these solutions hinge on expanded power purchase agreements and stable energy exchange market volumes.
“Achieving 100% displacement faces challenges without supportive banking regulations and economically viable energy storage solutions. Nevertheless, it is anticipated that in the next 2-3 years, advancements in energy storage technology will pave the way for a substantial shift towards renewable sources, allowing for a more significant displacement of conventional energy consumption,” said Mishra.

Mercom’s Most Impactful Interviews in 2024: Here’s What Clean Energy Experts Said

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					</table>Substantial savings on energy bills and the clean energy transition goals have led to a growing number of commercial and industrial (C&amp;I) entities in India adopting renewable energy sources for their electricity needs.
Several large companies have signed up to RE100, a global corporate renewable energy initiative bringing together hundreds of businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. In India, the RE100 program is driven by the <a href="https://www.theclimategroup.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climate Group</a>.
In this exclusive interview with Mercom India, Divya Sharma, India Executive Director of Climate Group, outlines Climate Group&#8217;s activities in India, including the progress achieved under the RE100 program and other decarbonization initiatives aimed at reducing emissions by industries in various sectors.
Here are excerpts from the interview: 
Can you tell us about Climate Group&#8217;s initiatives in India? How many companies in India have joined the RE100 initiative anchored by Climate Group?
We&#8217;ve <a href="https://www.theclimategroup.org/climate-group-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">been in India for over 15 years</a>, worked with 15 governments, and engaged with more than 190 businesses. We believe in the power of collective action. We&#8217;ve brought governments and companies together to drive climate action where emissions are highest. We&#8217;ve been running large initiatives on renewable energy procurement (RE100), energy productivity (EP100), decarbonization of the steel industry (SteelZero), and making electric vehicles the new norm (EV100 and EV100+ for medium to heavy-duty vehicles).
RE100 is among our largest initiatives in India. As part of the program, the businesses are committing to using 100% renewable electricity by 2050 at the very latest. Our goal is to accelerate the transition to zero-carbon grids. RE100 members represent diverse sectors, from cement to paper and automotive to IT services. Fourteen Indian-headquartered businesses are members.
Globally too, RE100 is the leading initiative for corporates looking to switch to renewables. With over 400 companies signed up, our members&#8217; total electricity consumption is now greater than that of France. What&#8217;s remarkable for us is that by signing up for RE100 and EP100, the businesses are not only doing their bit towards climate change mitigation; they are sending a strong signal to governments and other businesses alike that the transition to renewable energy (RE) is possible, and that the transition is urgently needed.
How have Indian companies performed on the goal of increasing renewable energy sourcing to meet their electricity needs?
The progress in our <a href="https://www.theclimategroup.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EP100</a> and <a href="https://www.there100.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RE100</a> initiatives is important to share. We&#8217;re encouraging a comprehensive approach, urging businesses to procure renewable electricity and increase their energy productivity. We&#8217;ve recently <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/re100-companies-renewables-2022" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> our annual disclosure report for RE100. More than 180 major Indian and global businesses in India reported procuring almost a quarter of their electricity from renewable energy in 2022. The total electricity demand of RE100 members stood at 17 TWh in 2022. Also, 48% of renewable electricity purchased by the members was from wind/solar projects. Hydropower was second at 39%.
Similarly, ten businesses are on track to double their energy productivity within 25 years of joining EP100. The cheapest energy is the one you don&#8217;t use, so energy efficiency can hugely impact a company&#8217;s bottom line.
It is heartening to see businesses committing and acting on these goals.
What are some of the reasons for companies to delay the adoption of renewable energy? How can this be overcome?
In the last decade, RE adoption in the C&amp;I segment was triggered by strong fiscal benefits. With the gradual fall in solar and wind prices, subsidies have been curtailed for the C&amp;I sector. The first preference of C&amp;I consumers is to save on costs, and the benefits are low. An interplay of the right procurement option and innovation in RE technology is needed to support cost optimization for the consumer.
While the national government&#8217;s interventions like the Green Energy Open Access Rules, 2022, and recent Resource Adequacy guidelines have supported the creation of new market mechanisms and brought robustness to power markets, we also see policy and regulatory barriers persist in their implementation in states. We need to strengthen state-level regulatory planning.
The integration of storage infrastructure can help add reserves for peak load management. Banking can serve as a short-term alternative for intermittent RE but lacks a coherent framework today.
What actions are being taken by Indian companies in hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel to decarbonize their operations?
We are seeing our members firmly set out on the path to decarbonization. For example, five top cement companies in the country have committed to RE100. Four have also committed to EP100. Under the SteelZero Initiative, we&#8217;re bringing onboard leading organizations to accelerate the transition to net-zero steel. We want to increase its demand. In India, the SteelZero initiative is also developing a Corporate Green Steel Procurement Framework (aligned to the Green Public Procurement Framework) to address policy barriers and develop the business and economic case for enhancing India&#8217;s scrap steel availability from ship recycling.
Is there enough awareness among Indian companies about the pressing need to decarbonize their operations by responsibly sourcing electricity? What is Climate Group&#8217;s strategy to get more Indian companies to commit to RE100?
We have seen a rise in interest among Indian companies wanting to join RE100. Backed by CDP&#8217;s accountability framework, it has built trust over the years. Regular forums have also offered opportunities for companies to share challenges and learn about achieving 100% RE. Companies are showing more confidence. RE100 is being seen as a serious commitment, even though uncertainties can dampen their interest. These uncertainties are mainly related to policy, regulations, new technologies (low or carbon-free), and financial aspects of round-the-clock RE. However, as I keep saying, we need more businesses to commit to 100% RE to curb climate change. India has the potential to lead the way in global sustainability in business, and companies can support the country&#8217;s commitments to net zero.
What recommendations can you offer to India&#8217;s policymakers and electricity regulators to create a more enabling environment for companies to switch to renewables and achieve the goals of a just transition?
We need to speed up policy change to factor in climate change. Policy is key. It will incentivize and guide market reform and can determine how fast or slow businesses adopt RE. Some Indian states still lack core state-level renewable energy policies, which will facilitate development if guided by waivers or incentives, especially in states with high renewable energy potential.
We see a just transition as an essential element of the switch to renewables and have started work on this piece. We are building a roadmap that can support businesses in their responsible RE journey. Policymaking can also contribute to adopting responsible renewable energy and making it people and environment-focused. For example, policies and laws that can lead to job creation in the RE sector. This is especially important to provide opportunities for workers from the conventional energy sector.
Climate Group is hosting the RE100 Conclave in collaboration with Mercom India on June 27-28, 2024, at Mahindra Towers in Mumbai. Large corporates keen on switching to 100% renewables and interested to know how can <a href="https://www.there100.org/re100-india-conclave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">register</a> by filling out the form before June 20th.

Conducive Policies Key for Corporates to Adopt Renewable Energy in India: Interview

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