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India

Another Indian Airport Goes Solar

written by saurabh

Another major international airport in India has installed solar power panels to reduce carbon footprint of its operations.

According to media reports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has installed solar power panels on the cargo complex of the Chennai airport. The solar power system is believed to have installed capacity of 5 MW and will generate enough electricity to meet 80% of the cargo terminal’s power demand.

The solar power system is expected to significantly reduce the electricity bill of the cargo terminal which currently procures electricity from the state utility at every high price.

Following the expansion of the Chennai airport large rooftop area has become available for solar power systems. The airport also has surplus 4,000 acre of land available for utility-scale solar power project. If fully utilised, the area can host 800 MW solar power project based on crystalline modules.

The AAI plans to set up similar solar power projects at airports across the country. The Indian minister for civil aviation recently announced that as many as 143 airports around the country will install a total of 148 MW of solar capacity over the next few months. According to AAI, solar projects of 5.4 MW cumulative capacity are already operational at 16 airports.

This 5.4 MW capacity does not include the 12 MW land-based solar power project operational at the Kochi airport. The airport commissioned the project last year and switched its operations completely to solar power.

08/30/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India To Begin Construction Of 5 GW Solar Power Park Soon

written by saurabh

Construction on one of India’s largest, if not the largest, solar power park is expected to being soon.

The Minister for Energy in the southern state of Karnataka recently told media outlets that construction on a proposed 5 GW solar power park will begin soon. The Pavagada solar power park is among the more than two dozen solar power parks with cumulative capacity of almost 20 GW approved by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy.

The Pavagada solar power park is still in its very initial stages of development. While a total capacity of 5 GW has been proposed, plans for only 2 GW have been shared in the public so far. India’s largest power generation company NTPC Limited and Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will jointly auction and allocate the 2 GW capacity in the project size of 50 MW each.

Five power distribution utilities in the southern state of Karnataka recently signed an agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to acquire 1 GW of solar power from a solar power park currently under development. The utilities will purchase electricity from SECI at Rs 4.50/kWh (US¢6.7/kWh) for a period of 25 years.

Recently, NTPC auctioned 500 MW capacity for the solar park. The capacity was allocated to six developers who are free to choose Indian or imported solar power modules for their projects. Adani Power, Tata Power Renewable Energy and Fortum India secured 100 MW capacity each at tariff of Rs 4.79/kWh (US¢7.9/kWh).

NTPC will also hold 100 MW auction wherein developers will be mandated to use only Indian-made solar PV modules. Apart from that NTPC has been designated to auction an additional 1 GW capacity. Power generated from this capacity will be bundled with power generated from NTPC’s own thermal power projects.

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will also auction 400 MW capacity for the solar power park. This capacity will be allocated under the Viability Gap Funding scheme wherein developers will bid for capital cost support needed and sell power at a fixed tariff of Rs Rs 4.43/kWh (US¢6.6/kWh).

08/28/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India Plans $220 Million Payment Security Fund For Solar Project Developers

written by saurabh

India has announced measures to provide financial support to solar power project developers even as the sector continues to see increasing competition in terms of tariff bids.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) recently announced that it will set up Payment Security Fund for project developers who commissioned projects under the viability gap funding (VGF) schemes of the National Solar Mission. Under the VGF schemes, project developers do not bid for tariffs but for the lowest capital cost support required for setting up the projects.

SECI plans to set have a corpus of Rs 1,500 crore (US$220 million) in the Payment Security Fund. The corpus shall be used by the agency to cover against possible defaults in payment by power utilities and other buyers of solar power.

The first VGF scheme – phase II batch I – with 750 MW capacity has already been completed. Additional capacity under the scheme was announced when the current government came to power in May 2014. Phase II batch III and phase II batch IV plans capacity addition of 2 GW and 5 GW, respectively. Power generated from projects under these two batches will be sold at a fixed rate of Rs 4.43/kWh (US¢6.6/kWh) for a period of 25 years. The Indian government has approved funding support of Rs 7,150 crore (US$1.1 billion) for these 7 GW projects.

In addition to these schemes funding shall also be provided to projects that come up along the international border of India and Pakistan to enhance security and monitoring capabilities of the Border Security Force of India.

At any given point the fund shall have enough corpus to cover three months’ payment for all the VGF schemes.

08/28/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Solar Energy Corp Of India Issues 100 MW Solar Energy Storage Tender

written by saurabh

The Solar Energy Corporation of India has issued among the first tenders for solar power projects with storage capacity.

A tender for 100 MW storage capacity for a large solar power park has been issued by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The storage will be part of the 1 GW Kadapa solar power park approved under the central government’s plan to setup around 25 GW of ultra mega solar power projects across the country.

Last month, media outlets had reported that SECI will auction an additional 200 MW storage capacity linked with large-scale solar power park in Karnataka. Theses auctions are part of an overall strategy to seamlessly integrate renewable energy projects into the existing power grid.

Earlier this year, Indian newspapers also reported that the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy was considering to launch a National Mission on Energy Storage. No details of the said mission are currently available, however.

International companies are already planning to bid for the impending tenders. Chinese battery maker BYD and Canada-based project developer SkyPower Global entered an agreement to bid for solar power projects in India soon after the news of 100 MW storage tender for Andhra Pradesh solar power park was reported.

08/27/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India Allocates 270 MW Solar Power Capacity In Odisha Tender

written by saurabh

An emerging renewable IPP has managed to grab a massive share in yet another solar power auction held by the Solar Energy Corporation of India.

The results of the first major solar auction in the state of Odisha have been declared and Odisha has finally joined the long and rapidly expanding list of Indian states where large-scale solar power projects will come up under the central government policy.

In the latest solar auction conducted by Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for Odisha, 270 MW capacity has been awarded to three solar firms. Out of total 270 MW tender, 240 MW has been awarded to Essel Green Energy, an arm of Essel Group while balance 10 MW has been awarded to Jyoti Infrastructure and 20 MW to IBC Solar Ventures.

All the successful bidders will be offered fixed tariff of INR4.43/kWh (US$0.067) combined with viability gap funding (VGF) provided by SECI. Essel Green sought capital cost support of INR 4.95 million (US$73,825) per MW whereas IBC Solar and Jyoti Infrastructure asked for INR 4.925 million (US$73,452) per MW and INR 4.915 million (US$73,303) per MW respectively. The VGF amount will be paid to the project developers as lump sum on commissioning which would effectively reduce the capital cost of the projects.

Earlier this year, SECI had announced floating of 450 MW and 50 MW tender for Odisha for projects to be developed under Phase II Batch IV of the National Solar Mission. The current auction of 270 MW is believed to be part of 450 MW original tender that was first reduced to 300 MW and then further to 270 MW during the bidding process.

Image by vectoropenstock.com for Cleantechies

08/24/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

First Solar Commissions 130 MW Capacity In India

written by saurabh

US-based solar module manufacturer First Solar has announced commissioning of two solar projects totalling 130 MW in the southern states of India through its Indian subsidiary, First Solar Power India Pvt. Ltd.

The company declared commercial operations of 80 MW solar PV project in the state of Andhra Pradesh and 50 MW solar PV project in the state of Telangana. With these projects the cumulative operational capacity owned by First Solar in India has increased to 150 MW.

The projects comprises of 1.4 million First Solar modules and are together expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 227,500 local households annually and would offset 204,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year.

Power generated from these projects will be purchased by the local utilities Southern Power Distribution Company of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company under 25 year long-term power purchase agreements.

“After achieving a recent milestone of 1 GW of PV solar capacity footprint in India, we are delighted to add 130 MW of utility-scale solar power to the grid, growing our portfolio of operational solar assets to a cumulative capacity of 150 MW,” commented First Solar’s Country Head for India Sujoy Ghosh.

First Solar has been active in the India market since before the inception of the National Solar Mission. Earlier this year, the company had announced that its cumulative solar power module shipment to India has crossed 1 GW and it has become the first thin-film solar panel manufacturer to achieve this feat.

08/24/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India’s Andhra Pradesh Targets 3 GW Solar, Wind Energy Hybrid Capacity

written by saurabh

The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh has become the first one to response to the central government’s plan to set up large-scale solar and wind energy hybrid projects.

In a draft policy document issued by the Andhra Pradesh government a target set up 3 GW of solar-wind hybrid capacity has been stated. This is the first response by a state government to the centre’s plan to set up 10 GW of solar-wind hybrid capacity across the country.

Andhra Pradesh has an overall target to have 18 GW of renewable energy capacity operational by March 2022, which would represent just over 10% of the national target of 175 GW. The 18 GW renewable energy target has been divided into 10 GW of solar power and 8 GW of wind energy capacity.

Objectives of the state’s solar-wind hybrid policy includes use of new and innovative technologies such as energy storage.

The state government has announced a number of incentives for the existing as well as new hybrid allocations. Hybrid projects shall be exempted from transmission and wheeling charges, open access cross-subsidy charges as well as electricity duty. The projects will be free to sell electricity to any consumer within the state through open access connectivity. The projects will also have a ‘must-run’ status, that is, there would be no curtailment of generation.

Andhra Pradesh, being one of the coastal states of India, has ample wind energy resources. It is also among the fastest growing markets in the solar power sector with a massive pipeline of projects. As on 31 July 2016, the state had an operational solar power capacity of over 800 MW, or around 10% of the national installed capacity.

Recently, phase one of the 1.5 GW Anantapuram solar park in Andhra Pradesh was commissioned. NTPC Limited, which owns the solar power park, announced the operationalisation of 250 MW capacity, making it one of the largest solar power projects in India. The Solar Energy Corporation of India also announced plans to launch 100 MW energy storage tender for subsequent phases of the solar power park.

08/21/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Sungrow To Supply 150 MW Solar Inverters To Mytrah Energy

written by saurabh

One of India’s rapidly growing renewable IPPs – Mytrah Energy – has placed a major order for inverters to be installed at solar power projects.

According a press release, Sungrow will supply inverters for 150 MW solar power capacity to Mytrah Energy. The inverters shall be installed at solar power projects coming up in the states of Telangana and Punjab.

Mytrah Energy started off as a wind energy project developer but like several other competitors it, too, ventured into solar power market. The company secured a total capacity of 377 MW in Telangana and Punjab solar power auctions. It also won rights to develop 45 MW capacity in Karnataka.

The company recently took steps to initiate work on solar power projects. It announced plans to raise approximately $185 million through equity finance for solar power projects. The company was looking to secure enough funds to achieve financial closure for 380 MW worth of solar power projects over the next 6 to 8 months.

Mytrah Energy is backed by some of the leading funds globally — Goldman Sachs, Apollo Funds, and Merrill Lynch International are all among the groups that have invested in the company. Mytrah Energy Limited was listed on the AIM segment of the London Stock Exchange in 2010 raising $80 million from institutional investors such as Capital Group, BlackRock, and Henderson. Since then, the company has raised about $570 million in debt to fund wind energy projects.

08/21/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Dedicated Renewable Energy Trading Platform Planned In India

written by saurabh

India’s largest power trading platform Indian Energy Exchange is planning to set up a dedicated trading platform for renewable energy.

In a recent interview, officials of Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) stated that they are planning to introduced a dedicated power exchange for renewable energy projects. The officials stated that since the government plans to have 175 GW renewable energy installed by March 2022, project developers will likely look to have multiple options to sell their electricity.

The idea of a dedicated renewable energy trading platform will work only if private sector project developers look to set up projects outside the tenders floated by the state and central governments. Developers winning such tenders have to sign long-term power purchase agreements leaving them with no alternate options to sell electricity. This sometimes becomes a financial hurdles for the developers as not all off-takers are of sound financial condition to make regular payments to the developers.

The success of a renewable energy trading platform will be a challenge as distribution companies in India are not buying renewable energy certificates which help them meet their renewable purchase obligation. Several million of such certificates currently remain unsold with distribution companies not heeding to the pleas of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy to rapidly increase the purchase of these certificates.

Indian Energy Exchange is looking to promote this dedicated platform as an alternate avenue for project developers to sell electricity and keep their project financial viable in case long-term agreements do not provide the desired revenue.

08/20/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India’s Solar Power Tenders Tally Crosses 20 GW

written by saurabh

The Indian Minister for New and Renewable Energy recently gave an update about the solar power capacity tendered so far in the country.

Piyush Goyal, who heads the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, reported to the Indian Parliament that a total of 20,766 MW capacity solar power tenders have so far been floated. Almost all, if not all, of these tenders are for solar PV technology with the ministry much less enthusiastic about concentrated solar power due to the poor performance of initial projects.

The minister reported that power purchase agreements for 8,482 MW capacity have already been signed. It is, however, not clear if this includes the installed capacity of 8,062 MW as on 31 July 2016.

Letters of Intent have been issued for a capacity of 3,392 MW while financial bids have been opened for 1,930 MW. Bids for 6,962 MW are yet to be opened.

The ministry has set a target to add 12 GW solar power capacity this financial year which is the most ambitious target ever announced for the sector.

The Indian government is looking to install large-scale solar power projects in the form of solar power parks around the country. At present, the ministry has approved solar power parks in 21 states with cumulative capacity of 19,900 MW. Phase two of the program will add another 20 GW capacity; this phase may be implemented through the introduction of solar zones.

08/20/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India’s NTPC Expands Andhra Pradesh Solar Park To 250 MW

written by saurabh

First phase of one of India’s largest solar power parks has now been commissioned.

India’s largest power generating company – NTPC Limited has announced commissioning of 50 MW of solar power project at Anantapuram solar park in the state of Andhra Pradesh. With the commissioning of 50 MW solar project, the phase-I of the solar park is fully operational. 200 MW capacity at the solar power park was operationalised in May 2016.

The Anantapuram ultra mega solar power project is planned to have a total capacity of 1.5 GW spread across two sites within the Anantapurum district. The second phase of the solar park will have 750 MW capacity. Both the phases will be located at district Kunta. The balance 500 MW capacity shall come up at Galiveedu.

Last year, Tata Power Solar was awarded 100 MW capacity while Lanco Solar, BHEL and Sterling and Wilson were awarded 50 MW capacity each. Entire 250 MW capacity under Phase-I is now commissioned successfully. The phase-II is expected to be operational by April next year.

The solar power park is among the several similar projects being set up by NTPC Limited. With the commissioning of 50 MW solar project at solar park, NTPC’s installed power projects capacity reached 47,228 MW. The Indian government has launched an ultra mega solar power projects scheme that will see around 20 GW commissioned.

08/16/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

12 Indian Ports Set To Go Solar

written by saurabh

The drive for deployment of solar in India has gained further momentum as Ministry of Shipping has recently announced that it is planning to install 82.64 MW of utility-scale solar power plants at country’s 12 major ports.

The funds required for the development of solar plants will be arranged by the ports from their own resources with no contribution from the government as stated by Minister of State for Shipping Pon Radhakrishnan in a written reply to the Parliament.

This announcement is in line with the Indian government’s Green Port initiative launched earlier this year which aims for ‘cleaner and greener’ airports by use of renewable energy technology. The initiative would also offset cost of purchasing power from the grid and would help to meet the Renewable Energy Purchase Obligation (RPO), set by the government, mandating a certain percentage of renewables into the total energy mix.

Indian ports mainly Vizag, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and New Mangalore together already have set up capacity of 6.84 MW and further 16 MW capacity in pipeline expected for commissioning by March next year.

The Indian government is also planning to push solar power generation in a big way. The Ministry of Civil Aviation recently announced that as many as 143 airports across India are planning to set up a cumulative solar power capacity of 148 MW.

Several ports across the world have solar photovoltaic installations. Recently, Jurong Port in Singapore, in collaboration with Sunseap Leasing, has completed installation of 9.5MW of solar capacity on its warehouse rooftop, making it the largest port-based solar facility in the world.

Image Credit: Sureshiras | CC-BY-SA 3.0

08/16/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Indian Company Plans Farming At Solar Power Projects

written by saurabh

As project developers continue to push the limits on tariff bids for solar power projects in India, innovation in the sector is also gathering pace.

A government-owned is looking to grow agricultural crop alongside solar power modules. Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited (GIPCL) has partnered with various agricultural universities to grow crop at solar power plants.

Researchers at Anand Agriculture University stated that the company shall implement a pilot project to grow paddy, castor, bajra, guar and vegetables over a 2.5 hectare area at a solar power plant. The pilot project will implemented at a 1 MW solar power plant owned by GIPCL with assistance from the Anand Agriculture University.

Importantly, the pilot project shall include cultivation of crops prevalent in all major seasons in India. Results of the pilot project shall be helpful to several thousands of farmers across the country.

Several state governments have been looking to integrate solar power into the farming sector to help farmer with a secondary income especially during a period of drought.

Farming alongside solar power panels may gain significance in India soon as the government has set a massive target of 100 GW operational solar power capacity by March 2022. As the installed capacity increases rapidly the conflict between farming and power plants would also likely increase.

Growing crops, or any other plants, at the solar field would also help protect the top soil which is, in many case, created through artificial means which levelling the solar field.

07/31/2016 0 comment

Renewable Energy

Monuments, Temples In India To Go Solar

written by saurabh

It seems all establishments in India that have surplus land resource are looking to set up solar power projects.

Media reports quoting sources linked to the Archeological Society of India (ASI) state that a number of protected historical monuments may soon be powered by solar energy. The ASI has received initial clearance from the Ministry of Culture for setting up utility-scale solar power projects at historical sites where vacant unused land is available.

Around 3,600 protected monuments are located across India. These monuments may soon house solar power projects of capacity 5 MW to 25 MW, depending on the land availability. Some of the famous monuments that may have substantial potential for solar power generation include Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Tughlaqabad Fort and Purana Qila.

While not explicitly mentioned by the sources, the solar power installations may adopt a feed-in tariff scheme to recover the cost of electricity. Any surplus electricity could be adjusted against their own power consumption while the surplus electricity can generate much needed revenue for the upkeep of these monuments.

Meanwhile, some temples in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh are also looking to set up solar power project. The state government is planning to set up 8 MW solar power capacity to power seven temples. A 7 MW project shall be implemented over a 50 acre area at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore.

According to the state government officials, these temples spend around Rs 16 crore (US$4 million) every year on electricity bills. By implementation of these solar power projects and energy efficient equipment the temples stand to save around Rs 415 crore (US$62 million).

07/31/2016 0 comment

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