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					</table>The Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (<a href="https://moef.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MoEFCC</a>) has exempted solar module manufacturing units, solar power projects, wind power projects, and mini hydel power projects less than 25 MW from obtaining both Environmental Clearance (EC) and Consent to Establish (CTE).
Under the notification, projects with an EC will no longer need to obtain a CTE or Consent to Operate, reducing the compliance burden and eliminating duplication of approvals. A standard operating procedure has been issued to integrate the CTE considerations into the EC process.
State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) will be consulted during the EC process to ensure all environmental safeguards are upheld. However, industries will still be required to pay the CTE fee to prevent revenue loss for states.
The waste generated from solar photovoltaic modules, panels, and cells is covered under the E-Waste Management Rules, 2022, the then Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R.K. Singh <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/government-solar-modules-ambit-e-waste-rules" target="_blank" rel="noopener">informed</a> the Rajya Sabha last year.
According to the rules, manufacturers and producers must store solar waste until the fiscal year 2034–35 as per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines. All producers of solar equipment and materials must register on the MoEFCC’s E-Waste Management System portal and maintain an inventory of their products on the platform.
The rules dictate that solar module and cell recyclers recover useful materials according to CPCB standards. Manufacturers must comply with CPCB-issued SOPs for storing and processing solar waste.
Additionally, the MoEFCC has <a href="https://mercomindia.com/battery-waste-management-rules-mandates-recycling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enforced</a> the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022, which mandate the recycling of critical materials such as lead, nickel, lithium, and cobalt used in batteries. These rules cover waste management for batteries across applications, including electric vehicles, portable devices, and industrial systems, ensuring an eco-friendly approach to battery recycling.
The ministry had previously <a href="https://mercomindia.com/battery-waste-management-rules-mandates-recycling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the Battery Waste Management Rules, 2022 ensuring eco-friendly management of waste batteries, including those embedded in electric vehicles, portable, and industrial batteries. Under the revised rules, the ministry mandated the recycling of materials such as lead, nickel, lithium, nickel, and cobalt which are used in batteries.

Government Eases Environmental Clearance Procedure for Solar and Wind Projects

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					</table>The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (<a href="https://moef.gov.in/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MoEFCC</a>) has once again extended the deadline for coal-based power plants to install pollution control technology and meet emission standards.
The deadline for thermal power plants to install Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) units that cut sulfur dioxide emissions has already been moved many times.
As per the new notification, the deadline for retiring power plants to install the equipment has been extended to December 31, 2027. For non-retiring units, the deadline has been extended to December 31, 2026, from December 31, 2024.
For non-retiring units within a 10-km radius of the National Capital Region or cities with a million-plus population, the deadline has been extended to December 31, 2024, from December 31, 2022.
The deadline for non-retiring units within a 10-km radius of critically polluted areas has been extended by two years from December 31, 2023.
The deadline for coal-based power plants across the country has been extended to December 31, 2026, from December 31, 2024.
Status of FGD installations
The government plans to install 600 FGD units at thermal power plants with a combined 211.62 GW capacity. This includes 67.46 GW of power plants owned by the central government, 68.16 GW by the states, and 76.01 GW by private players. Of these, bids have been awarded for FGD installations in 85.74 GW of thermal power plants.
Across the country, the central government has awarded bids to install FGD units at 133 projects with a capacity of 58.42 GW. State governments and private companies have awarded bids for 23 projects with 8.26 GW and 33 projects with 19.06 GW, respectively.
Thermal power plants that are to retire by December 31, 2027, will not be required to meet the specified norms for SO2 emissions if they seek exemption from the Central Pollution Control Board and Central Electricity Authority on the ground of retirement.
Initially, a 2017 deadline was <a href="https://mercomindia.com/status-of-retrofitting-pollution-control-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">set</a> for thermal power plants to comply with emissions standards by installing the FGD infrastructure to cut toxic sulfur dioxide emissions. Subsequently, separate timelines were set for different regions, with the deadline ending in 2022. In another order, on  March 31, 2021, thermal plants close to heavily populated areas and New Delhi had to comply by 2022, while plants closer to critically polluted areas had time up to 2025 to comply or retire the units.
Installation of FGDs in a phased manner
According to a recent report published by the Center for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, for a typical coal-fired thermal power plant, FGD can remove between 50% and 99.8% of SO2 in flue gases depending upon the age of the plant.
The report recommends adopting a graded action plan for phased implementation of FGDs by giving preference to areas with the highest surface concentration of SO2. Phase 1 of FGD implementation should be from July 2022 to July 2025 and include FGD implementation in 40 thermal plants across the country. Phase 2 should happen in 49 thermal power plants, start from July 2026, and be completed by July 2029.
The report points out that Phase 3 of FGD implementation should happen in 27 thermal power plants and be completed between July 2029 and July 2031. Phase 4 of FGD implementation should happen in 21 thermal power plants, and it can start from July 2031 and be completed by July 2033.
Phase 5 can include the remaining seven thermal power plants and be completed by July 2034.
In 2020, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission <a href="https://mercomindia.com/thermal-units-pollution-control-retrofit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> that thermal power projects retrofitting pollution control systems on commissioned units would be allowed to recover their costs in parts from buyers during the tenure of power purchase agreements. It suggested that 90% of the installation cost can be recovered over the life of the emission control equipment, estimated at 25 years, and10% considered salvage value.

Deadline for Coal-Based Power Plants to Meet Emission Standards Extended Again

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MNRE</a>) has released the requirements for solar street lights and solar study lamps specifying minimum performance parameters for lithium batteries.
The ministry has issued provisions for solar street lights and solar study lamps being procured under the off-grid and decentralized solar applications program.
Currently, the specifications provide for the use of lithium ferro phosphate batteries in the solar systems. The ministry had received representations from stakeholders for the inclusion of all lithium batteries other than the lithium ferro phosphate batteries.
In August this year, MNRE had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-lists-lithium-battery-specifications/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a draft notification detailing the specifications of lithium batteries that can be used for off-grid solar applications like solar street lights and solar study lamps. The ministry had called for comments and suggestions from stakeholders by August 28.
After considering all the facts and the stakeholders&#8217; suggestions, the ministry decided to specify the performance parameters for batteries to be used in solar street lights and solar study lamps.
As per the new specifications, the batteries&#8217; specific energy should be a minimum of 120 Wh/kg, and the charging rate should be a minimum of C/4. The charge-discharge cycles should be a minimum of 2,000 cycles at the C/10 rate (C rate is the measure of the rate at which the battery is discharged) at 25 degrees Celsius. The depth of the discharge should be 85% at 25 degrees Celsius. The batteries&#8217; temperature should be in the range of 10 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius.
The ministry said all lithium batteries, fulfilling the above parameters, will be used for solar street lamps and solar study lamps in the future.
In March, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-blueprint-battery-waste-management/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a draft notification for battery waste management with the regulations applicable to all types of batteries as listed in Schedule-I, regardless of their shape, volume, weight, material, composition, or use.
Previously, Mercom <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-testing-guidelines-battery-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that MNRE had issued draft guidelines for performance testing of batteries (lead-acid and nickel-based chemistry type) series approval for mandatory registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Battery energy storage system (BESS) was brought under the ambit of the Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices, and Component Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration under the BIS Act Order 2017), which was implemented on April 16, 2018.
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MNRE Issues Specifications for Lithium Batteries Used in Off-Grid Solar Applications

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has constituted a high-level inter-ministerial Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (AIPA). The Secretary of <a href="http://moef.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MoEFCC</a> will lead the AIPA.
The objective is to generate a coordinated response on climate change issues while ensuring that India is on track to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement, including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC).
India has already submitted its NDC in 2015 to implement the Paris Agreement in the post-2020 period. The NDC has eight goals, including three quantitative goals –
<ul>
<li>Reduction in the 2005 emissions intensity of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33-35% by 2030.</li>
<li>Achieve around 40% cumulative electric power capacity installed from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030.</li>
<li>Create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.</li>
</ul>
The constitution of the committee is central to strengthening the national systems and institutional arrangements for the implementation and monitoring of climate actions, as 2021 marks the beginning of the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Senior officials from 14 ministries will serve as members of the committee to oversee the progress of NDC implementation. The AIPA will receive periodic updates to monitor, review, and revisit climate goals to fulfill the Paris Agreement&#8217;s requirements.
The AIPA would operate as a national authority to regulate India&#8217;s carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, issue guidelines on carbon pricing and the market mechanism.
The AIPA would also formulate guidelines for project consideration, activities that fall under the ambit of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and other similar instruments that have a bearing on climate change and NDCs.
The AIPA would consider the contributions made by the private sector and multilateral/bilateral agencies working in the field of climate change and guide them to align their climate actions with the nation&#8217;s priorities.
AIPA&#8217;s most important objective is to maintain India&#8217;s climate leadership as one of the few countries in the world whose climate actions are consistent with the Paris Agreement&#8217;s goals.
In 2016, India <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-ratifies-paris-climate-change-agreement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">became</a> the 62nd country to ratify the <a href="http://unfccc.int/resource/docs/2015/cop21/eng/l09r01.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Paris Agreement</a>. The agreement requires every ratifying member country to come up with a national plan to curb carbon emissions and rising temperatures.
Meanwhile, last year, the United States government had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/us-begins-withdrawal-process-paris-climate-change-accord/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">submitted</a> its formal notification of withdrawal from the Paris Climate Change Agreement to the United Nations, starting the one-year-long process. Former President Donald Trump had cited the unfair economic burden on American workers, businesses, and taxpayers by the country’s pledge to the agreement as a reason for withdrawing from the agreement.
&nbsp;

India Forms Committee to Oversee Implementation of the Paris Agreement

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MNRE</a>) has issued a draft notification detailing the specifications of lithium batteries that can be used for off-grid solar applications like solar street lightings and solar study lamps. The ministry has requested comments and suggestions from stakeholders by August 28, 2020.
The ministry has been implementing various programs for promoting off-grid solar applications. These specifications have been issued by the ministry to maintain the required quality of the systems involved.
Under the existing specifications for solar street lights and solar study lamps, lithium (Li) Ferro Phosphate (LFP) batteries were provided under the MNRE programs. Various stakeholders had suggested that off-grid solar applications should be battery technology-neutral. They also requested that lithium batteries other than LFP batteries should be allowed to be used in off-grid applications.
Considering the batteries appropriate for solar off-grid applications, following broad technology-neutral specifications have been drafted out for Li batteries.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Technology-Neutral-Lithium-Battery-Specifications-Proposed-by-MNRE-for-Off-grid-Solar-Applications.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-20850" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Technology-Neutral-Lithium-Battery-Specifications-Proposed-by-MNRE-for-Off-grid-Solar-Applications.png" alt="Technology-Neutral Lithium Battery Specifications Proposed by MNRE for Off-grid Solar Applications" width="369" height="260" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Technology-Neutral-Lithium-Battery-Specifications-Proposed-by-MNRE-for-Off-grid-Solar-Applications.png 369w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Technology-Neutral-Lithium-Battery-Specifications-Proposed-by-MNRE-for-Off-grid-Solar-Applications-300x211.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 369px) 100vw, 369px" /></a>
In March this year, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-blueprint-battery-waste-management/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a draft notification for battery waste management. The regulations will apply to all types of batteries as listed in the Schedule-I, regardless of their shape, volume, weight, material, and composition, or use.
Earlier, MNRE had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mnre-testing-guidelines-battery-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> draft guidelines for performance testing of batteries (lead-acid and nickel-based chemistry type) series approval for mandatory registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (<a href="https://bis.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">BIS</a>). The battery energy storage system was brought under the ambit of the Solar Photovoltaics, Systems, Devices, and Component Goods (Requirement for Compulsory Registration under the BIS Act Order 2017), which was implemented on April 16, 2018.
The government also <a href="https://mercomindia.com/government-blueprint-ev-battery/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a proposal to set up a national mission on transformative mobility and battery storage initiatives last year. The Cabinet has also approved the creation of the Phased Manufacturing Program to support the development of large-scale, export-competitive integrated batteries and cell-manufacturing giga-scale projects in India.
According to a <a href="https://mercomcapital.com/product/1h-q2-2020-funding-ma-report-storage-grid-efficiency/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> from Mercom Capital Group, global VC funding for battery storage companies in the first half of 2020 was down by 61%, with $536 million in 14 deals compared to $1.4 billion raised in 17 deals in 1H 2019.

MNRE Lists Lithium Battery Specifications for Off-Grid Solar Applications

The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (<a href="http://moef.gov.in/draft-environment-impact-assessment-notification-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MoEFCC)</a> recently issued a draft notification on the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) detailing certain restrictions and prohibition to be imposed on the construction of some projects or expansion/modernization of existing projects involving capacity addition, in any part of India. This will supersede the EIA notification 2006 and the subsequent amendments made to it.
The Ministry has extended the date for receiving public opinion, suggestions, or objections to the proposed draft notification to June 30, 2020.
The draft notification titled EIA Notification 2020 will come into force from the date of publication of the final notification in the Official Gazette.
The draft notification has listed some projects that will not require prior environmental clearance or permission. These projects include solar photovoltaic (PV) power projects, solar thermal power projects, and the development of solar parks, manual extraction of lime shells, digging of well for irrigation or drinking water purpose, and coal and non-coal mineral prospecting among others.
After the release of the draft, Wind Pioneers, an engineering company in the renewable energy space, has written to the government asking immediate withdrawal of the notification and amendment of the notification that will strengthen the role of environmental and social protection of people and nature.
Wind Pioneers is a UK-based company with an engineering base in Bangalore, India. Signed by 15 members, the letter was written to Prakash Javadekar, Minister of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change.
“The Ministry continues to approve mining, industrial, and construction projects in the name of societal development without due allowance to environmental costs. Several of the projects have come under severe backlash from local communities for polluting ecosystems, water sources, and forceful occupation of local farmland and coastal areas,” the letter states.
Further, the letter noted that for affected communities, the EIA regulation remains the only mechanism to ensure that the project developers disclose the details of project design and impacts and that these projects are legally mandated to mitigate impacts and adhere to legal safeguards.
The land in India has been one of the biggest <a href="https://mercomindia.com/land-impediment-large-scale-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">impediments</a> for the expansion of renewable energy projects, especially solar.

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