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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/chhattisgarhs-open-access-solar-surge-with-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chhattisgarh, which has traditionally relied on coal sources for its energy requirements, has recently seen a surge in solar capacity additions, accounting for about 5% of the 13.6 GW</strong></a> installed capacity in the state as of September 2023. The state has witnessed a dramatic increase in open access solar from 3 MW in the second quarter (Q2) of 2023 to 28 MW in Q3 2023, according to Q3 2023 Mercom India Solar Open Access Market Report. By the end of September 2023, Chhattisgarh’s cumulative open access solar capacity reached 380.7 MW, making it the ninth highest in the country, accounting for 3.5% of the country’s total. The state’s recent policy adjustments, particularly certain exemptions for open access, have decisively boosted Chhattisgarh’s overall solar capacity.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mes-balance-work-1-mw-rooftop-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Military Engineer Services has floated a tender to complete the balance work of 1 MW rooftop solar systems at the Air Force Station in Nagpur.</strong></a> The project should be completed within two months of receiving the work order. Selected bidders must also oversee the project’s comprehensive maintenance for five years. The project’s estimated cost is ₹9.7 million (~$117,026). The last day to submit the bids is February 1, 2024. Bids will be opened on February 8. Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹170,500 (~$2,057).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/bhel-tender-5-mw-solar-haridwar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) has invited bids from project developers to set up a 5 MW ground-mounted solar power project at its Ranipur facility in Haridwar</strong></a> on a build, own, operate, and maintain basis. The scope of work includes developing, constructing, synchronizing, commissioning, operating, and maintaining the solar project. It also includes setting up the evacuation network up to the BHEL substation. The selected bidder must sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with BHEL.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/upneda-tender-mini-grid-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Uttar Pradesh New &amp; Renewable Energy Development Agency has invited bids for a five-year operation and maintenance contract for 2.921 MW of mini-grid and decentralized distributed generation (DDG) solar power projects installed on a revenue model basis.</strong></a> The projects include 16 mini-grids with a combined capacity of 2.332 MW and 30 DDG solar projects of 580 kW. The last day to submit the bids is January 29, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day. Bidders must submit a tender fee of ₹11,800 (~$142) and an earnest money deposit of ₹25,000 (~$300).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/india-lithium-exploration-pact-argentina" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Khanij Bidesh India has signed an agreement with the Argentina-based mining company Catamarca Minera Y Energetica Sociedad Del Estado</strong></a> for the exploration and development of five lithium brine blocks as the South Asian nation looks to secure a 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.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/railways-1-24-mw-rooftop-solar-bihar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Sonpur Division of East Central Railway has invited bids for state-wise empanelment of agencies to implement 1.24 MW grid-connected rooftop solar power projects</strong></a> at its electric loco shed in Barauni Junction through public-private partnership and on a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer basis. The projects would be developed in two capacity ranges— (i) above 10 kW and up to 100 kW for a total of 140 kW, and (ii) above 100 kW and up to 500 kW, totaling 1,100 kW. Bidders can quote for one or all the capacities.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/delhi-transport-bids-deploy-public-e-scooters" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Delhi Transport Department has issued a request for proposals to select service providers to deploy 1,000 high-speed and 2,000 low-speed public electric scooters to bridge the last-mile connectivity issue for public transport in the Dwarka sub-city.</strong></a> The last date to submit the bids is February 15, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day. Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹4 million (~$48,216). The first successful bidder (L1) must submit a performance bank guarantee of ₹6 million (~$72,307), whereas the second successful bidder (L2) must submit ₹4 million (~$48,216).</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/state-bank-india-250-million-green-bonds" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>State Bank of India has issued $250 million senior, unsecured, green floating rate notes through private placement facilitated by its London branch, set to mature on December 29, 2028.</strong></a> The bond, issued on a floating rate of 1.20% above the secured overnight financing rate, was listed on the Global Securities Market of the India International Exchange. The bond issuance is part of SBI’s $10 billion medium-term note program. The proceeds of the issuance will be allocated towards eligible green projects in accordance with the bank’s environmental, social, and governance financing framework.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mahindra-ontario-teachers-renewable-invit" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mahindra Group and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board have announced an Infrastructure Investment Trust, dubbed Sustainable Energy Infra Trust (SEIT),</strong></a> with an initial capital raise of ₹13.65 billion ($165 million) to advance the renewable energy sector in India. The initial offer was subscribed by global and Indian investors, including the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, as SEIT made its debut on the National Stock Exchange of India. The companies claimed the trust is the largest of its kind, holding about 1.54 GW of operational renewable power assets.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: Open Access Solar Surge in Chhattisgarh


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					</table><p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>Argentina is part of the “Lithium Triangle” along with Chile and Bolivia, with more than half of the world’s total lithium resources.</p>
<p>Lithium’s strategic importance in the transition to a greener economy has prompted the Indian government to secure its own supply of the metal.</p>
<p>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.</p>
<p>According to a World Bank report, the global demand for lithium will increase by 500% by 2050.</p>
<p>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.</p>


India Signs ₹2 Billion Lithium Exploration Pact with Argentina

<p>The Geological Survey of India (<a href="https://www.gsi.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GSI</a>), part of the <a href="https://mines.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ministry of Mines</a>, has taken up seven projects for lithium exploration across different states in India. Lithium is the crucial element in manufacturing batteries for phones, electronic devices, and electric vehicles.</p>
<p>According to the <a href="https://mercomindia.com/china-leads-lithium-ion-battery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> in Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s (<a href="https://about.bnef.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BNEF</a>) ‘Global Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Ranking,’ Chinese lithium-ion battery manufacturers are likely to retain their recently acquired number one position in the next five years. The U.S. and Sweden may emerge third and fourth by 2025, respectively.</p>
<p>Lithium-bearing minerals fall under Part B ‘Atomic Minerals’ of the First Schedule of the Mines and Minerals Development and Regulation Act, 1957. Their reserves are not available in the National Mineral Inventory.</p>
<p>According to a press release issued by the ministry, the GSI takes up different stages of mineral exploration as per the approved field season program.</p>
<p>Between 2016-17 and 2020-21, GSI carried out 14 projects on Lithium and associated elements in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Karnataka, and Rajasthan.</p>
<p>For 2021-22, GSI has taken up seven projects for Lithium exploration in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, and Rajasthan.</p>
<p>Apart from the GSI, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (<a href="https://www.amd.gov.in/app16/index.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AMDER</a>) &#8211; a constituent unit of the <a href="https://dae.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Atomic Energy</a> &#8211; has also undertaken exploration for Lithium in potential geological domains in parts of Karnataka and Rajasthan.</p>
<p>AMDER has also taken up subsurface exploration in the Marlagalla area of Mandya district in Karnataka. Reconnaissance surveys have also been carried out along the Saraswati River paleochannel in the Jodhpur and Barmer districts of Rajasthan to locate lithium mineralization associated with brine (saline water in salt lakes).</p>
<p>Preliminary surveys on the surface and limited subsurface exploration by AMDER have shown the presence of 1,600 tonnes of Lithium resources (inferred category) in the pegmatites of Marlagalla – Allapatna area, Mandya district, Karnataka.</p>
<p>However, a joint venture company named ‘Khanij Bidesh India’ has been formed by three Central Public Sector Enterprises with the support of the Ministry of Mines.</p>
<p>These Central Public Sector Enterprises are National Aluminium Company (<a href="https://nalcoindia.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NALCO</a>), Hindustan Copper, and Mineral Exploration Corporation with equity participation of 40:30:30 respectively. The purpose of ‘Khanij Bidesh India’ is to acquire mineral assets overseas – primarily critical and strategic minerals including Lithium, Cobalt, and others, excluding rare Earth elements.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://barrelenergyandtech.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Barrel Energy</a>, a U.S.-based lithium-ion battery manufacturer, has <a href="https://mercomindia.com/barrel-energy-set-up-battery-manufacturing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a memorandum of understanding with Hyderabad-based <a href="http://www.roshantechnologies.in/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roshan Energy Technologies</a> to develop and manufacture lithium-ion batteries in India and North America.</p>


Geological Survey of India Undertakes Seven Projects for Lithium Exploration

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