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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indias-open-access-solar-in-2023-adding-3-2-gw" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>India achieved a record-breaking annual installation of solar open access, adding 3.2 GW, in the calendar year 2023, a marginal increase from the 3 GW installed in the previous year, according</strong></a> to the recently published 2023 Q4 &amp; Annual Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report. The exclusion of open-access solar projects from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers order’s mandate, coupled with decreasing module prices, pushed commercial and industrial consumers into accelerating their pending projects and entering into power purchase agreements.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/jsw-sunsure-upc-ntpc-win-secis-solar-tranche-xiii-auction" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>JSW Neo Energy (JSW Energy), Sunsure Solarpark Fourteen (Sunsure Energy), Tejorupa Renewables India Project (UPC Renewables), and NTPC Renewable Energy were declared</strong></a> winners in the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s auction to set up 1,500 MW Inter-State Transmission System-connected solar power projects in India under Tranche XIII. JSW, Sunsure, and UPC Renewables quoted the lowest tariff of ₹2.56 (~$0.0310)/kWh to win 700 MW, 300 MW, and 250 MW, respectively. NTPC Renewable won 250 MW out of the 600 MW quoted capacity at ₹2.57 (~$0.0311)/kWh.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/gensol-indigrid-guvnls-bess-auction-record-low-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gensol Engineering and IndiGrid 2 (IndiGrid) have won Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam’s auction to set up pilot projects of 250 MW/500 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) in</strong></a> Gujarat under tariff-based global competitive bidding (Phase-II). Gensol won 70 MW/140 MWh, quoting ₹448,996 (~$5,424)/MW/month, and IndiGrid won the remaining 180 MW/360 MWh, quoting ₹449,996 (~$5,436)/MW/month. The tariff quoted in the auction was 58.43% lower than the ₹1.08 million (~$13,045)/MW/month quoted by JSW Energy for the Solar Energy Corporation of India’s auction to set up 500 MW/1,000 MWh BESS projects in August 2022.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/iex-298-mu-green-energy-february-rec-falls" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Indian Energy Exchange traded 298 million units (MU) of green energy during February 2024, a 12.61% year-over-year (YoY) drop from 341 MU.</strong></a> The green energy trade was up by 26.27% from 236 MU traded in January 2024. The Green Day-Ahead Market achieved 266 MU, up by 6.4% YoY and 26.67% month-over-month (MoM). The weighted average price discovered in the segment was ₹5.5 (~$0.066)/kWh, with participation from 214 market entities during the month. The Green Term-Ahead Market traded 32 MU in February, down by 64.84% YoY and up by 23.08% MoM.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/coal-india-subsidiary-solar-project-in-jharkhand" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Central Mine Planning &amp; Design Institute, a subsidiary of Coal India, has invited bids for the design, supply, installation, commissioning, and testing of grid-connected solar power projects</strong></a> with a cumulative capacity of 13 MW. These projects are intended for Central Coalfields Ranchi at NK Area Chatra, Jharkhand, and come with a five-year operation and maintenance period. The last date for the submission of bids is March 28, 2024. Bids will be opened the same day. Work should commence within 30 days of the issuance of the letter of acceptance and the submission of the performance security.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/plug-power-resolves-going-concern-doubts" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Plug Power, a U.S.-based hydrogen fuel cell company, reported a revenue of $891 million for 2023, up 27% from the prior year, allaying fears about its ability to continue operations.</strong></a> The company said it now has sufficient financial resources and liquidity to sustain its ongoing activities “for the foreseeable future.” Last November, the company said that its cash reserves and available equity securities were inadequate to fund operations over the ensuing 12-month period. The company posted a net loss of $1.37 billion, which nearly doubled from $724 million in 2022, as increased investments in growth weighed on profitability.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/sunova-solar-topcon-cell-facility-in-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Solar cell and module manufacturer Sunova Solar has announced its investment in a 9 GW TOPCon cell production facility in China’s Yibin City, which will focus on the production of</strong></a> 182mm, 199mm, and 210 mm TopCon solar cells. This is the company’s first cell manufacturing facility that will be ramped up to 9 GW of annual production when completed. Currently, Sunova Solar operates factories in China and Vietnam, with an integrated 4.2 GW capacity of solar modules. It has shipped more than 4 GW of modules cumulatively worldwide, according to the company.</p>
<p><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/month-in-a-minute-top-renewable-sector-in-february-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Perovskite solar panels could become more efficient and sturdier over longer periods by engineering the nanoscale structure of perovskite devices, claims a new study by a team of</strong></a> scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and other institutions. Perovskites are materials with a special crystal structure that may one day outperform conventional silicon or cadmium telluride solar cells, according to a study published in the journal Nature Energy. A major advantage is that perovskites can be solution-processed and essentially painted or printed onto surfaces like flexible plastic, paper, or glass, making them versatile and easy to transport.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/global-solar-installations-likely-to-top-520-gw-in-2024-bnef" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The solar industry added nearly 444 GW of new capacity in 2023, a 76% year-over-year (YoY) growth, taking advantage of the fall in prices of solar modules and ample supply of</strong></a> components, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (BNEF) Global PV Market Outlook for the first quarter of 2024. China alone added 216.9 GW in 2023, accounting for 60% of the global market. According to China’s National Energy Administration, the capacity addition in 2023 represented a 148 % YoY increase from 87.4 GW. The BNEF report said end-user markets are booming while manufacturers struggle to make profits.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/mercom-staff/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Mercom Staff</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"></div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Daily News Wrap-Up: India’s Adds 3.2 GW of Solar Open Access in 2023


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					</table><p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/50-indias-planned-solar-module-to-be-gujarat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>As India prepares to build out its solar module manufacturing capacity, Gujarat has emerged as an overwhelmingly favorite destination for domestic manufacturers, accounting for more than half</strong></a> of the country’s module-making capacity and roughly 30% of cell manufacturing capacity. The state has benefited from friendly industrial policies in the form of expedited and simpler compliance procedures. Additionally, the electricity tariff in the state is competitive and attracts manufacturing companies. The details emerged in Mercom’s State of Solar Manufacturing in India report, released last month. It is a 58-page document and covers all facets of India’s solar manufacturing.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-subsidiary-issues-epc-tender-for-500-mw-of-solar-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NTPC Renewable Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC, has invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction package with land development for 500 MW of inter-state transmission</strong></a> system-connected solar projects anywhere in India. The scope of work also includes the operation and maintenance of complete solar projects, including switchyard and power evacuation system until the interconnecting grid substation, along with consumables and spare parts for three years from the date of commissioning.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/guvnl-bids-500-mw-solar-projects-greenshoe-option/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam has invited bids for purchasing power from 500 MW of grid-connected solar power projects (Phase XIX) to be set up anywhere in India with a greenshoe option</strong></a> of an additional 500 MW. The last date to submit the bids online is March 13, 2023. Bids will be opened on March 16. Bidders will have to deposit ₹300,000 (~$3,637) plus 18% GST as a processing fee. Also, bidders must furnish ₹400,000 (~$4,849)/MW as an earnest money deposit.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/government-330-mw-waste-to-energy-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing 90 projects under its Waste to Energy program, Union Minister of Power R.K Singh informed the Lok Sabha.</strong> </a>These projects include seven biogas generation projects with a cumulative production capacity of about 83,400 cubic meters per day, 34 BioCNG projects with a cumulative production capacity of about 248,000 kg/day, and 49 power projects with a cumulative production capacity of about 330 MW. Earlier this month, the government, in its budget, announced 500 new ‘waste-to-wealth’ projects under GOBARdhan (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan) program, which will be established to promote a circular economy.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/indore-raise-%e2%82%b92-45-billion-through-green-bonds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>In probably a first for an urban local body, the Indore Municipal Corporation is floating a green bond on February 10, 2023, to raise ₹2.45 billion (~$29.5 million ) for a 60 MW ground-mounted captive solar</strong></a> photovoltaic project in Khargone district in Madhya Pradesh. The issue will close on February 14. The tenor of the green municipal bonds will be for 3, 5, 7, and 9 years with a coupon rate of 8.25%. The bonds will have a base issue size of ₹1.22 billion (~$14.77 million) with a green shoe option of a similar amount.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-aims-at-9-fold-in-public-ev-charging-2030/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The government aims to install a total of 46,397 public charging stations (PCS) for electric vehicles in nine major cities by the end of the decade. The information was provided by R.K. Singh, Union</strong></a> Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) has prepared an action plan for the installations. The country currently has only about 5,254 PCS under operation. BEE has been selected as the central nodal agency to undertake various initiatives.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/uttarakhand-bids-for-9-5-mw-of-solar-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>UJVNL, a government of Uttarakhand enterprise, has invited bids to set up 9.5 MW of grid-connected solar projects near the Kulhal powerhouse in the Dehradun district.</strong></a> The projects will be connected to the 33/11 kV substation at the Kulhal powerhouse under the Solar Energy Policy of Uttarakhand-2013 for the sale of power to UJVNL. The last date to submit the bids online is February 24, 2023. Bids will be opened on February 27.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/assam-discom-for-10-mw-solar-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited has invited bids from solar power developers to set up 10 MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic power projects under Phase II</strong></a> of the Central Public Sector Undertaking program. The last date for submission of bids is  February 20, 2023. Bids will be opened the following day. The scope of the work includes the design, construction, and supply of solar power-generating systems and the operation and maintenance of the project for 25 years.</p>
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<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/mercom-staff/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Mercom Staff</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"></div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Daily News Wrap-Up: Gujarat to Dominate India’s Planned Solar Module Capacity

<p><strong>Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://www.ntpc.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>NTPC</strong></a> <strong>has awarded the project of setting up India&#8217;s first green hydrogen fueling station in Leh, Ladakh, to </strong><a href="https://www.amararaja.com/companies/amararaja-power-systems-ltd" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Amara Raja Power Systems</strong></a><strong>.</strong> To begin, NTPC plans to ply five hydrogen fuel cell buses in the region. This pilot project is being set up in Leh&#8217;s extreme conditions at the height of 3,600 meters above sea level with a temperature variation of -14 degrees to +20 degrees Celsius. Amara Raja Power Systems was selected to execute this initiative based on its technical expertise. Green hydrogen will be produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, using an electrolysis process powered by electricity generated by renewable energy sources.</p>
<p><strong>NTPC <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/662678fc-5aa6-4335-a253-a317baf1d6c6.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the commercial operation of the second part of 15 MW out of the 56 MW Kawas solar project at Kawas in Gujarat</strong>. With this, the standalone installed and commercial capacity of NTPC will become 54.66 GW, while the group installed and commercial capacity of NTPC will become 69.03 GW.</p>
<p><strong>Our Next Energy (ONE), the Michigan-based energy storage company, </strong><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/one-and-bmw-sign-agreement-to-demonstrate-ix-with-600-mile-range-301567104.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>signed</strong></a><strong> an agreement with BMW Group to incorporate ONE&#8217;s Gemini Dual-Chemistry battery technology into the BMW iX</strong> all-electric sports activity vehicle. ONE&#8217;s unique long-range Gemini technology reduces lithium use by 20% while reducing graphite use by 60% and minimizing the use of nickel and cobalt. In doing so, ONE is creating more sustainable energy storage technology that can significantly reduce environmental impact. The prototype vehicle is expected to be completed by the end of the year.</p>
<p><strong>Leading Australian renewable energy company, Edify Energy, </strong><a href="https://edifyenergy.com/energy-storage-systems/financial-close-on-the-largest-approved-grid-forming-battery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>announced</strong></a><strong> the successful completion of project financing </strong>to build and operate the largest approved grid-forming battery in the country. Designed and developed by Edify, these energy storage systems using Tesla Megapacks will be the most advanced battery systems in the National Electricity Market, equipped with grid forming inverters that operate in &#8216;virtual synchronous generator&#8217; mode. This will allow the storage system to operate as a conventional generator and provide essential system strength services to help facilitate the connection of future clean energy power plants in the region.</p>
<p><strong>Boviet Solar, a leading global solar energy technology company specializing in manufacturing monocrystalline PERC cells, monofacial, and bifacial modules, </strong><a href="https://bovietsolar.com/boviet-solar-gets-255-megawatt-pc-module-order-from-leading-global-renewable-energy-developer" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>signed</strong></a><strong> a contract to provide 255 MW of solar modules</strong> to a leading global renewable energy developer. The solar modules will be used in a utility-scale solar project in the United States. The developer chose Boviet Solar&#8217;s high-performance and high-efficiency Vega Series 550 W monocrystalline PERC – bifacial double-glass solar modules.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
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<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
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Daily News Wrap Up: NTPC Awards Green Hydrogen Fueling Station Project to Amara Raja

<p>Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:</p>
<p><strong>Convergence Energy Services Limited (</strong><a href="https://eeslindia.org/en/cesl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CESL</strong></a><strong>), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), has signed an agreement </strong>with Common Services Centres e-Governance Services India Limited to create demand aggregation for electric mobility, solar, energy efficiency solutions, and other initiatives of CESL. Under the agreement, CESL and CSC will aggregate demand and carry out feasibility studies for projects in &#8211; renewables (decentralized solar); energy efficiency (solar micro-grids, solar-based agricultural pump-sets); e-mobility (EV charging stations, battery charging stations, and battery swapping stations); and Battery Energy Storage Systems. Common Service Centres are physical facilities for delivering government of India e-services to rural and remote locations where availability of computers and internet is negligible or absent.</p>
<p><strong>Sterling and Wilson Solar Solutions (</strong><a href="https://www.sterlingandwilsonsolar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>SWSS</strong></a><strong>) announced that it had signed an order worth $121.7 million (~₹8.9 billion) in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.</strong> The order comes from a leading sustainable energy company and is scheduled to be commissioned by Q4 FY 2022. SWSS will be managing the entire turnkey execution for the PV project.</p>
<p><strong>Azelio wins a domestic order for two of its TES.POD units from Swedish-based Industrisupport i Åmål AB. </strong><a href="https://www.azelio.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Azelio’s</strong></a><strong> TES.POD will store surplus energy from a 446 kW rooftop solar PV system</strong> and supply electricity and heat from the storage on demand around-the-clock. With this installation, Azelio’s storage units will increase the share of renewable energy supply by 24% and reduce CO2 emissions from energy use by 168 tonnes per year.</p>
<p><strong>Inox Wind has <a href="https://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachHis/55fd1b36-678f-40b1-a73b-8727532d54c1.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a binding agreement with Integrum Energy Infrastructure Private Limited to supply, erect and commission 92 MW of wind power projects </strong>comprising 2 MW (113-meter rotor diameter turbine combined with 92-meter hub height) turbines with a combination of total turnkey and limited scope supply. Inox Wind will supply, erect and commission the turbines at various locations in Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra &amp; Tamil Nadu by Q3 of FY 22 for captive customers.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rahul-nair/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rahul Nair</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p>Rahul is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Before entering the world of renewables, Rahul was head of the Gujarat bureau for The Quint. He has also worked for DNA Ahmedabad and Ahmedabad Mirror. Hailing from a banking and finance background, Rahul has also worked for JP Morgan Chase and State Bank of India. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rahul-nair/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rahul Nair.</a></p>
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