MNRE

The opening of India’s marathon six-week election yesterday will bring policymaking to a halt but a prominent consultancy says the nation is trailing behind peers when it comes to guidelines for materials and recycling, and the lack of a viable business case for reusing materials doesn’t help matters.

Rajasthan Electronics & Instruments (REIL) has invited bids to set up 1.7 MW (AC) of grid-connected PV projects with battery storage in India’s Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The projects — to be implemented on a turnkey basis on Havelock Island (Swaraj Dweep) and Neil Island (Shaheed Dweep) — will be awarded through competitive bids, followed by a reverse auction.

In response to feedback from the domestic renewable energy sector, the Indian government has revealed plans to launch $5 billion of tenders for new transmission lines, starting in phases from this summer.

Record-setting Acme Solar has secured a third of the latest procurement exercise in the state with a lowest bid of INR2.48/kWh. The tender was oversubscribed by more than 100% as offers came in for 1,620 MW of capacity.

SECI, the organization responsible for coordinating India’s push for 100 GW of new solar capacity by 2022, has had a busy week. But, as last year illustrated, tenders alone are not always a guarantee of new generation assets.

The state government has unveiled its new solar energy policy. The ambition would encompass projects, programs and installations relating to solar PV and thermal energy, and is aimed at utilities as well as energy consumers.

Of that colossal sum, 350 GW would be for solar. India currently has installed renewable energy capacity of 75 GW with a further 46 GW under implementation.

Tariff ceilings, safeguard duties, a falling rupee and mandated manufacturing capacity turned 2018 into a year of annulled tenders, and no shows by bidders.