Researchers have simulated a cart-mounted solar pump which they say would mean farmers in off-grid areas would be able to irrigate fields by paying only for the solar electricity used.

Bidders have until September 16 to pitch for generation capacity which can be installed on vacant land owned by the rail company nationwide.

The tariff ceiling has been fixed at INR3.20/kWh ($0.04) and the ground-mounted PV projects will be set up on a build-own-operate basis. The last day to submit bids is July 24.

The Indian state of Andhra Pradesh – which had commissioned an aggregate 3.53 GW of solar capacity as of May 31 – will set up the new plants to ensure nine hours of daily free power supply to the agricultural sector.

Almost 10 GW of hybrid generation capacity is already under implementation despite the nation having only 100 MW of combined wind and PV projects at present, according to analyst Crisil.

Adani Green Energy is reported to have exercised an option to double the 4 GW of solar generation capacity and 1 GW of cell and module production facilities it secured in a manufacturing-linked solar tender carried out by the Solar Energy Corporation of India in November.

The projects – to be developed in three phases of 1 GW each – will be completed by the end of 2023. While the first and third phases will be developed under public-private partnerships, the second phase will be built under India’s Central Public Sector Undertaking Scheme.

Coronavirus-related disruption severely impacted solar installation during the first three months of the year, as the nation added only 689 MW of utility scale PV, against the 1,864 MW that was scheduled to be commissioned.

The prime minister again emphasized the need for India to develop its own solar manufacturing industry and also urged officials to get on with plans to make the region of Ladakh carbon-neutral.

Scientists have developed a hybrid production method combining metal mesh and a metal-oxide layer over a glass substrate which they say brings down production cost by 80% compared to the tin-doped, indium oxide-based technology currently in use.