EQ Magazine September REI 2021 Special Part A by EQ Int'l Solar Media Group

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CONT EN T

VOLUME 13 Issue #09 (A)

Disclaimer,Limitations of Liability While every efforts has been made to ensure the high quality and accuracy of EQ international and all our authors research articles with the greatest of care and attention ,we make no warranty concerning its content,and the magazine is provided on an>> as is <<basis.EQ international contains advertising and third –party contents.EQ International is not liable for any third- party content or error,omission or inaccuracy in any advertising material ,nor is it responsible for the availability of external web sites or their contents The data and information presented in this magazine is provided for informational purpose only.neither EQ INTERNATINAL ,Its affiliates,Information providers nor content providers shall have any liability for investment decisions based up on or the results obtained from the information provided. Nothing contained in this magazine should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sale any securities. The facts and opinions stated in this magazine do not constitute an offer on the part of EQ International for the sale or purchase of any securities, nor any such offer intended or implied Restriction on use

INDIA

PROMOTION OF BIOMASS BASED COGENERATION IN SUGAR MILLS AND OTHER INDUSTRIES

29 INTERNATIONAL

MAXEON TO SUPPLY SOLAR MODULES FOR LAS VEGAS SOLAR AND STORAGE PROJECT

40 RENEWABLE ENERGY INDIA, AUSTRALIA INVESTING HEAVILY TO ACHIEVE ENERGY TARGETS

22 ENERGY STORAGE THREE WHEELS UNITED PARTNERS WITH PIAGGIO VEHICLES FOR ELECTRIC 3-WHEELERS

The material in this magazine is protected by international copyright and trademark laws. You may not modify,copy,reproduce,republish,post,transmit,or distribute any part of the magazine in any way.you may only use material for your personall,NonCommercial use, provided you keep intact all copyright and other proprietary notices. want to use material for any non-personel,non commercial purpose,you need written permission from EQ International.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

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ENERGY STORAGE

INDIA

TÜV RHEINLAND AWARDS ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS CERTIFICATIONS TO HUAWEI, PYLONTECH

INDIA NEEDS LOW-COST CAPITAL TO FUEL GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS: KANT

36 23

ASIA PACIFIC INDONESIA SETS EYES ON BECOMING WORLD’S GEOTHERMAL SUPERPOWER

ENERGY STORAGE

INTERVIEW

UL, HYUNDAI TO PARTNER ON EVALUATION OF EV BATTERIES FOR ENERGY STORAGE

Mr. Vineet Tyagi

25 ENERGY STORAGE POLYMER SCIENTIST HELPS DEVELOP NEW TECHNIQUE FOR LARGE-SCALE ENERGY STORAGE

ASIA PACIFIC

HANWHA SOLUTIONS BETTING ON SOLAR BUSINESS

RENEWABLE ENERGY

INTERNATIONAL

IKEA STARTS SELLING RENEWABLE ENERGY TO HOUSEHOLDS IN SWEDEN

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EUROPEAN UNION SOLAR POWER GENERATION HITS RECORD HIGH IN JUNE, JULY

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

Founded in 2005, JA Solar is a manufacturer of high-performance photovoltaic products. With 12 manufacturing bases and more than 20 branches around the world, the company’s business covers silicon wafers, cells, modules and photovoltaic power stations. JA Solar products are available in over 120 countries and regions.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

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www.EQMagPro.com E-mail: darshan@fox-ess.com

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SEPTEMBER2021 (PART A) 11 Mobile: 8733099324

india

INDIA HAS NO COMMITMENT OF SUBMITTING FRESH TARGETS FOR CUTTING GREEN HOUSE GAS EMISSIONS: GOVT UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa welcomed that 110 signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change met the cut-off date, which was extended from the end of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ndia has made no commitment to submit fresh targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, a senior official from the environment ministry said while dismissing reports that the country has missed the deadline set by the UN climate change agency to provide an update. A foreign news agency has reported that India and China have missed the deadline of July 30 set by the United Nations (UN) to provide an update on their plans for curbing the release of planetwarming gases.

Dismissing the report, Environment Secretary R P Gupta said, “India has no such commitment of making and declaring fresh targets. We have not signed any such agreement.”

According to the report, UN climate chief Patricia Espinosa welcomed that 110 signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change met the cut-off date, which was extended from the end of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But she said it was “far from satisfactory” that only 58 per cent of the signatories had submitted their new targets in time, the report said. Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Syria and 82 other nations also failed to update their nationally-determined contributions (NDCs) for the UN to include the input in a report it is preparing for an international climate change conference in November, the report claimed. “Espinosa noted that a previous report found countries were doing too little to meet the goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) by the end of the century compared with pre-industrial times. The more ambitious target of capping warming at 1.5C (2.7F) is far out of reach,” the report said. Source : PTI

PANASONIC LIFE SOLUTIONS INDIA LAUNCHES SOLAR STRING INVERTERS FOR RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS TO ENABLE A SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND) has unveiled a new product, Solar Grid-Tie Inverters in Punjab, Kerala, and Gujarat. The launch of solar Inverter is the second major step by PLSIND, after solar modules, in offering clean energy solutions for conscious and eco-driven consumers. These inverters come in a compact design, are light in weight, and assures higher longevity. They are safe to handle while providing maximum efficiency, promote energy-saving, and are affordable.

SOME OF OUR KEY PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS ARE MENTIONED BELOW:

Low Maintenance: Ease of handling and operation with minimal Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Amit Barve, Head of Solar, Panasonic Life Solutions India said, “Aligned with the Government of India’s push for residential solar adoption, we are pleased to announce a range of solar inverters catering to the needs of the evolved residential consumers. We look forward to enabling a smooth transition to cleantech energy solutions with our deep know-how & expertise in the solar sector. With the solar sector predicted to grow significantly over the next few years, this is a solution that maximizes sustainable living, while maintaining the durability and after-service of the product, especially for residential customers. Our inverters offer a best-inclass warranty and a seamless experience.”

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

maintenance requirements are the prime USPs of the inverters. They are 30% lighter as compared to peers available in the market, designed to be plug-and-play models, and are highly resistant to flames as well as corrosion. They are ideally suited for residential settings.

Smart Inverter: They implement an intelligent Maximum Power

Point Tracking algorithm to maximize the yield from solar modules. Also, with a touch-sensitive OLED screen and real-time monitoring, these Inverters can also be used from remote locations using Wi-Fi & GPRS.

Industry-first warranty period: It comes with 10 years of war-

ranty with the products certified under various IEC standards as well as for Panasonic’s strict quality norms. BIS approval for the products is also underway.

Smart Series: These are available in 4 different models that

consumers can choose; starting from 1 KW capacity. It includes the Reno, Ino, Stellar and Lumina Series, with each series having various specifications providing high system performance. Source : apnnews

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india

PROMOTION OF BIOMASS BASED COGENERATION IN SUGAR MILLS AND OTHER INDUSTRIES

The Ministry has been implementing a scheme to support promotion of biomassbased cogeneration in sugar mills and other industries. The scheme was applicable for projects set up across India.

he scheme was notified on 11.05.2018 and was valid till 31.03.2021. Under the scheme, Central Financial Assistance (CFA) @ Rs 25 Lakhs / MW of surplus exportable capacity for bagasse cogeneration projects and Rs 50 Lakhs / MW of installed capacity for non-bagasse cogeneration projects was being provided to plants utilizing biomass like bagasse, agro-based industrial residue, crop residues, wood produced through energy plantations, weeds, wood waste produced in industrial operations, etc. The proposal for continuation of the scheme beyond 31.03.2021 is under consideration.

This information was given by Shri R.K. Singh , Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

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SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

india

STEPS TO ENHANCE DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING OF SOLAR PV CELLS AND MODULES For solar energy sector, on 07.04.2021, the Cabinet approved a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme, namely, ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’, with an outlay of Rs. 4,500 crore. Though on the same date, the Cabinet also approved another Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for White Goods (Air Conditioners and LED Lights), with an outlay of Rs. 6,238 crore, the same is not intended for the solar energy sector. (b): Solar PV cells and modules are already being manufactured in the country. In order to further enhance domestic manufacturing of solar PV cells and modules, the Government has taken the following steps: Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) Scheme of Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology: The scheme mainly provides subsidy for capital expenditure – 20% for investments in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and 25% in non-SEZs. The Scheme was open to receive applications till 31st December, 2018. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for High Efficiency Solar PV Modules: In order to enhance India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports, on 28.04.2021, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued the Scheme Guidelines for ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’, with an outlay of Rs. 4,500 crores. The Scheme has provisions for supporting setting up of integrated manufacturing units of high efficiency solar PV modules by providing Production Linked Incentive (PLI) on sales of such solar PV modules. Preference to ‘Make in India’ in Public Procurement in Renewable Energy Sector: Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) vide its Order No. 283/22/2019-GRID SOLAR dated 09.02.2021, has inter-alia, prescribed that in public procurement of items in respect of which there is sufficient local capacity and local competition, only Class-I local supplier shall be eligible to bid. Class-I local supplier means a supplier or service provider, whose goods, services or works offered for procurement, has local content equal to or more than 50%. Solar PV modules are one of the products identified as having sufficient local capacity and competition. Domestic Content Requirement (DCR): Under some of the current schemes of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), namely CPSU Scheme Phase-II, PM-KUSUM and Gridconnected Rooftop Solar Programme Phase-II, wherein government subsidy is given, it has been mandated to source solar PV cells and modules from domestic sources. Imposition of Basic Customs Duty on import of solar PV cells & modules: The Government has announced imposition of Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on import of solar PV cells and modules with effect from 01.04.2022. Discontinuation of Customs Duty Concession benefits: Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue) vide its Gazette Notification No. 7/2021-Customs dated 01.02.2021, has rescinded its earlier Notification No. 1/2011-Customs dated 06.01.2011 thereby withdrawing the benefit of concessional customs duty on the items imported for initial setting up of the solar power projects with effect from 02.02.2021.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

The ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ targets direct employment to 30,000 people and indirect jobs to 1.2 lakh people. The ‘National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules’ targets an additional 10,000 MW of integrated domestic manufacturing capacity of high efficiency solar PV modules with an investment of around Rs.17,200 crore. This information was given by Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

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PROMOTION OF HYDROGEN AS AUTOMOTIVE FUEL

In her Budget Speech on 1 February 2021, the Finance Minister announced the launch of a Hydrogen Energy Mission in 2021-22 for generating Hydrogen from green power sources. Accordingly, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has drafted a National Hydrogen Energy Mission document which would inter-alia aim to scale up Green Hydrogen production and utilization across multiple sectors, including transportation.

he draft Mission document is currently under inter-ministerial consultation. Further, in September 2016, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has notified Hydrogen as a fuel for automotive application for Bharat Stage VI vehicles. In September 2020, MoRTH has specified the safety and type approval requirements for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 157. Also, in September 2020, 18% blend of Hydrogen with CNG (HCNG) has been notified as an automotive fuel.

An R&D project titled “Design and Development of 20 kW Low Temperature Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell with high indigenous content” has been sanctioned by MNRE to International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials, Chennai at a total project cost of Rs 21.42 crores (with MNRE share of Rs 17.74 crore). Rs 7.9 crores has been released under this project in 2019-2020. Further,

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india

Department of Science and Technology has launched Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Program and Advanced Hydrogen and Fuel Cell program to support research on Hydrogen and Fuel Cell. The details of the funds released by DST for research and development of Hydrogen. Year Funds Released 2019-20 Rs.20,38,28,770/- 2020-21 Rs.83,01,158/Various hydrogen powered vehicles have been developed and demonstrated under projects supported by Government of India. These include 6 Fuel Cell buses (by Tata Motors Ltd.), 50 hydrogen enriched CNG (H-CNG) buses in Delhi(by Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. in collaboration with Govt. of NCT of Delhi), 2 hydrogen fuelled Internal Combustion Engine buses (by IIT Delhi in collaboration with Mahindra & Mahindra), fifteen hydrogen fuelled 3-wheelers (by IIT Delhi in collaboration with Mahindra & Mahindra), 2 Hydrogen-Diesel dual fuel cars(by Mahindra & Mahindra) and one fuel cell car (by CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Laboratory and CSIRNational Physical Laboratory).

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

india

INDIA NEEDS LOW-COST CAPITAL TO FUEL GREEN ENERGY PROJECTS: KANT Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant noted that the government has pushed for green energy and India is the fourth largest in the world in renewable energy installed capacity

ndia needs low-cost capital to help domestic entrepreneurs execute global scale projects in areas like green hydrogen, solar energy, electric vehicles and battery manufacturing, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said, adding that there is a need to build a sustainable country. Addressing a virtual event organised by the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP), Kant further said India is in a very unique position in hydrogen and it should be moving towards green hydrogen in the oil refining and fertiliser sectors.

“We need to build a sustainable India…India needs only low cost capital to fuel the Indian green entrepreneur to execute global scale projects in green hydrogen, solar, EV and battery etc, ” he said. Kant noted that the government has pushed for green energy and India is the fourth largest in the world in renewable energy installed capacity. Talking about climate change, he said as far as the net-zero emission target is concerned, the developed world has given itself more than 40 years, and 7 years for transition. “So, we can talk about net-zero (emission target), but definitely it can’t be 2050. It has to be some year in the future at which many, many models are being looked at but something which will be politically decided. “But we need to look at various models through which we will arrive at the best possible solution for that, ” he said. Net-zero means balancing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the environment by removing an equivalent volume. This may be achieved by various modes, including restoring forests or through direct air capture and storage (DACS) technology. A very active campaign has been going on for the last two years to get every country to sign on to a net-zero goal for 2050.

Also speaking at the event, former deputy chairman of the erstwhile Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia said the world is not on track to meet the Paris Agreement targets on climate change.

“India will be among the most effected due to global warming, ” Ahluwalia said, adding that climate justice suggests that developed countries should reach the targets earlier, allowing the developing nations more time. He pointed out that India’s per capita energy use is one-third of the global average but the country is the 4th largest emitter, so it will face pressure to accept some trajectory of emission reduction. Ahluwalia stressed on the need to switch from fossil fuel to electricity wherever possible but added that some use of fossil fuel is likely to continue through 2050. Noting that financial condition of India’s discoms (power distribution firms) has to be greatly improved to encourage private sector investment, he suggested for privatisation of discoms to reduce possibility of political interference. Source : PTI

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

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interview

MR. VINEET TYAGI HEAD SALES & MARKETING INSOLATION ENERGY PVT LTD EQ: How is the rise in raw materials prices of modules impacting the Indian Manufacturers? VT: The industry is passing through a very tough time ever since the start of covid pandemic. We have been witnessing disruptions in raw material sourcing, supply chain management and availability of workforce. Further the fear of intermittent lockdowns is adding to the woes. Hence we are seeing an upward trend in the prices of the raw material. This has a negative effect on our bottom-line. The module manufacturers are finding it difficult to to raise the prices as the market is not responding to the price rise. The domestic manufacturers are operating on wafer thin margins and are finding it difficult to reinvest in technology and expansions. We have already seen some of the small manufacturer’s winding up in recent times. EQ: How do you see the market after the expiry of Safe Guard Duty? VT: The SGD announced by the Govt of India three years back expired on 29th July 21. The MNRE has issued a notification proposing BCD on Solar cells and panels effective April 22. This effectively means there is a time gap of eight months between SGD & BCD. In the absence of the import barriers we will see a rush of cheap imports from China & other countries leading to the loss of precious foreign exchange. The domestic industry is staring at an uncertain future because of this policy vaccum. Already the impact is being seen in the rise of solar cell prices by Chinese manufacturers in the last one week. Untill now only the big projects were using the imported modules and now with nil SGD the rooftop market will also prefer cheap imported modules. Effectively if we see this is like a double edge sword wherein one side we have high input costs and on other side we have to compete with low priced imports. EQ: What kind of modules are demanded by your customers? Which technology will rule the solar market in the coming years? VT: We are selling a mix of both poly as well as mono perc modules. Currently our maximum selling products are poly modules. However recently we are seeing a spurt in the demand for mono perc modules. In fact the gap between mono perc and poly modules is narrowing down. We believe that in future mono perc will be the most preferred choice. We also foresee a good demand for bifacial modules in the coming years. We have been seeing this trend around the globe and India too is going to adapt the latest technologies.

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EQ: How much modules have you supplied to India till now? What is the target and expectation in this year and next year? VT: In the last Financial Year (2020-21) we have supplied approx 100+ MW of modules. This year our target is to supply 150 MW and further 250 MW in the next year. EQ: The scope of PM-KUSUM scheme has been expanded by the government. Do you feel it will help domestic module manufacturers in expanding their market reach? VT: MNRE has expanded the scope of Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) scheme to enable greater solar energy generation in the farm sector. The ministry has amended the guidelines of the scheme based on the learning from its implementation during the past years. The Union Budget 2020 has laid a major emphasis on use of solar energy for farming under the ambitious PM-KUSUM scheme with Finance Minister extending the scheme’s implementation with new targets. These kinds of initiatives will definitely give boost to domestic manufacturing sector. We strongly believe that domestic manufacturers are fully capable of meeting this demand through the supply of quality products. EQ: As still the significant market share has been enjoyed by overseas players, what will be your strategy to expand the market presence? VT: As of now we were focusing on the Domestic Market through capacity expansion, now we are also upgrading and incorporating new equipments for technology up gradation to expand the market presence. We have one of the best testing equipments for quality assurance and product up-gradation. Along with this, we regularly organize the Product and Process Training for our staff by internal and external agencies. As with international trends the Indian market is also seeing a trend shift from poly to mono perc modules . Keeping an eye on this our new expansion plans are already braced up for new technological introductions. Further we are already exploring export opportunities and are in touch with few overseas clients for this. We are planning to enter into mid East Asia, Africa & selected European countries.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

business & finance

BAJAJ ELECTRICALS LOSS WIDENS TO RS 25 CRORE IN APR-JUN Bajaj Electricals Ltd reported widening of its consolidated net loss to Rs 24.97 crore for the quarter ending June 2021 on account of impact of the second wave of COVID-19 and rise in commodity prices. The company had posted a net loss of Rs 16.60 crore during the April-June quarter of the previous fiscal, Bajaj Electricals said in a regulatory filing.

owever, its total income was up 40.63 per cent to Rs 865.37 crore during the quarter under review as against Rs 615.34 crore in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal. Bajaj Electricals total expenses were at Rs 896.78 crore, up 32.69 per cent in Q1/ FY 2021-22, as against Rs 675.84 crore.

Commenting on the results, Bajaj Electricals Chairman and Managing Director Shekhar Bajaj said, “While this quarter’s results are impacted by the second wave of COVID-19 and the rise in commodity prices, we have maintained our strategic direction and focus.” “The Consumer Products business continues to enjoy top-line growth and the EBIT margin for this quarter factors in the impact of various one-off or not-comparable costs and investments made,” he added.

Bajaj Electricals’ revenue from the consumer product segment was up 56.30 per cent at Rs 617.26 crore as against Rs 394.92 crore of the corresponding period. Its revenue from the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) segment was up 12.28 per cent to Rs 239.52 crore as against Rs 213.31 crore a year ago. “We remain confident of maintaining our margin expansion in the coming quarters. Our EPC segment has reduced its loss, while continuing to focus on execution and working capital. Even in a challenging quarter, we have continued to generate positive Cashflow from Operations. With demand picking up, we remain confident to deliver to our overall strategy and goals,” Bajaj added. Shares of Bajaj Electricals Ltd settled at Rs 1,061.40 on BSE, down 3.58 per cent from the previous close. Source : PTI

NTPC PLANS TO RAISE TERM LOANS WORTH UP TO RS 5,000 CR

The loans would be utilised towards capital expenditure for ongoing or new capacity addition programmes.

tate-owned NTPC invited proposals for raising term loans worth up to Rs 5,000 crore. The power producer has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for raising the amount and financial institutions can submit bids till 11 am on August 26, 2021. The bids would be opened the same day at 11.30 am, according to a letter by NTPC to financial institutions.The loans would be utilised towards capital expenditure for ongoing or new capacity addition programmes. These include takeover of projects, buying out Government of India’s equity stake in PSUs under the disinvestment programme, renewable energy projects, coal mining & washeries, renovation & modernisation programmes of various projects, refinancing of loans and general corporate purposes.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

The minimum amount of loan offered by banks/ financial institutions shall be Rs 500 crore and in multiples of Rs 500 crore thereafter, as per the company. In case of two bidders quoting the same rates, preference will be given to bidder quoting rates linked to benchmark other than T-bill (Treasury bill). Still, if more than one offer is available at the lowest rate of interest, the allocation would be made on a pro-rata basis to the lowest bidders. Source : PTI

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business & finance

RENEW POWER TO LIST ON NASDAQ THIS MONTH, RMG INVESTORS APPROVE MERGER ReNew is looking to be fully funded for its equity requirements till fiscal year 2025 through this listing. ReNew Power, one of India’s leading renewable energy companies, is expected to get listed on NASDAQ by the end of this month.

his will make it the second Indian green energy company to do so and the first through the ‘special purpose acquisition company’ (SPAC) route. Azure Power was the first Indian green energy company to list on the US stock exchange in 2016.

RMG Acquisition Corp II, the US-based blank cheque company, which will aid the SPAC listing of ReNew Power, in a statement, said, “RMG II will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of ReNew Global, and ReNew Global’s class A shares and warrants are expected to commence trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. This has the highest initial listing standards of any exchange in the world, under the symbols “RNW” and “RNWWW”, respectively, on August 24, 2021.”

In February this year, ReNew Power had announced that it will list on the NASDAQ through a business combination with RMG II. The pro forma consolidated and fully-diluted enterprise value is expected to be close to $8 billion. The company, in 2018, floated an initial public offering (IPO) to list in India but the issuance was called off. It is now taking the ‘SPAC)/blank check company’ route to list on NASDAQ. RMG II held a stakeholders’ voting on August 16 to approve its investment in ReNew Power. The company, in its statement on the US Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), said approximately 88 per cent of the votes cast at the extraordinary general meeting were in favour of approving the business combination proposal.

The company further said the business combination is expected to close on August 23, 2021 (subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the other customary closing conditions). Business combination will be in effect under the newly-incorporated holding company, ReNew Energy Global plc. The transaction includes a fully committed, upsized $855 million private investment in public equity (PIPE) from investors that include BlackRock, BNP Paribas Energy Transition Fund, Chamath Palihapitiya, Sylebra Capital, TT International Asset Management, TT Environmental Solutions Fund and Zimmer Partners, as well as $345 million of gross cash held in trust by RMG, said the company. ReNew is backed by equity investors such as Goldman Sachs, Tokyo-based JERA, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, and Global Environment Fund. Goldmans Sachs, which was the initial investor in ReNew, is looking to exit with this listing process.

ReNew is looking to be fully funded for its equity requirements till financial year 2025 through this listing. ReNew Power is hopeful of tapping international funds and taking advantage of environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) investment, which is catching up in the global market.

Speaking with Business Standard in March, Sumant Sinha, founder-chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), ReNew Power, said, “Global markets are very deep and the whole theme of ESG investment has picked up globally. Therefore, we have access to new funds and investors, who otherwise would have not been able to invest in the Indian listing.”

In a joint investor call in March, the company said it is expecting its revenues to grow at 30 per cent until 2025. By the financial year 2022, ReNew is expecting $952 million of revenue, and hopes to double it to 2 billion by 2025. ReNew Power has a total installed capacity of 5.4 Gw of solar and wind power. It also has 4.6 Gw of renewable power capacity under onstruction. The company plans to enter into energy storage, power transmission and the distribution space as well. Source: business-standard

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SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

business & finance

ADANI GREEN ENERGY RAISES $750 MLN AT 4.375%

Adani Green Energy (AGEL) said that it has priced its ListCo senior issuance of $750 million through a three-year issuance at a fixed coupon of 4.375%. he funds shall be utilised towards equity funding of the capex for underlying renewable projects under construction by AGEL. Under the structure, AGEL can draw upto $1,700 million (including the present issuance) over the course of time subject to the covenants of the structure. The notes were rated Ba3 (Stable) by Moodys. Earlier in the year, AGEL had completed the tie-up of a $1.35 billion revolving construction framework arrangement for senior debt funding of construction stage projects. With this $750 million ListCo issuance, AGEL has completed the final phase of its capital management plan, and now has a fully funded program for both debt and equity for its stated target of 25 GW by 2025.

Vneet S Jaain, MD and CEO, AGEL, said: The 4.7X oversubscription of this issuance is testimony of the confidence of global investors in the world’s fastest growing Renewable Energy platform and Adani’s capability to set up a world class clean energy business.

This ListCo senior green Bond issuance is yet another landmark transaction for AGEL and fully funds our pipeline of projects and reinforces our commitment towards being a sustainability focused global infrastructure platform. We expect to further accelerate our footprint and are firmly on track to become the world’s largest renewable energy company by 2030. AGEL has one of the largest global renewable portfolios with 15 GW (giga-watts) of operating, under-construction and awarded projects catering to investment-grade counterparties. The company’s consolidated net profit soared 895.45% to Rs 219 crore on a 22.89% jump in total income to Rs 1,079 crore in Q1 FY22 over Q1 FY21. Source: Capital Market

STERLING AND WILSON SOLAR TO ENTER OTHER BUSINESS SEGMENTS Sterling and Wilson Solar will explore business opportunities in areas like clean energy storage, waste management and energy efficiency. The company inserted a new clause in the memorandum of association (MoA) to include new segments like setting up of power plants, solar energy systems, renewable energy systems or any other facility including Hybrid Energy Systems & Energy Storage (BESS) & (ESS) in its business. “The Members of the Company through Postal Ballot (remote e-voting) have by way of special resolution approved the alteration of the Object Clause of the MoA of the Company as stated in the Postal Ballot Notice dated July 29, 2021,” it said in a BSE filing

s per the amended MoA, the company will also enter into integrated solid waste/ biomass management including Waste to Energy using municipal solid waste as fuel for power generation, using biomass as fuel for power generation. The company can now also enter the business of providing market energy efficient technologies, renewable/non-conventional energy technologies and other innovative technologies. Besides, it may embark on consultancy in planning, developing and implementation of comprehensive energy efficiency. Source : PTI

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

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energy storage

TÜV RHEINLAND AWARDS ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEMS CERTIFICATIONS TO HUAWEI, PYLONTECH Two Chinese energy storage companies have been awarded top-class certifications for safety and technical requirements from TÜV Rheinland, with award ceremonies held earlier this month.

lectronics manufacturer Huawei received 2PfG 2511 and VDE-AR-E 2510-50 for its smart string energy storage systems (ESS) for residential use in the German market, while the battery cells of integrated energy storage system company Pylontech were certified to meet earthquake protection standards for the Japanese market. Germany’s residential battery storage market continues to grow, with over 300,000 systems installed by households across the country. In place since 2014, TÜV Rheinland’s 2PfG 2511 is considered a comprehensive assessment standard for energy storage system performance and technical requirements while VDE’s VDEAR-E 2510-50 specifies safety standards for stationary energy storage systems using lithium batteries.

PYLONTECH’S LFP CELL DEEMED EARTHQUAKE-SAFE BY TÜV RHEINLAND JAPAN Pylon Technologies (Pylontech), which already achieved the 2PfG 2511 and VDE-AR-E 2510-50 accreditation in 2017 — and in fact was the first company to do so — said earlier this month that it is now the first Chinese manufacturer to pass Japan’s stringent earthquake test requirements. Pylontech received Earthquake Disaster Countermeasures Standard for Battery Cells status for its flexibly-packaged PF37M lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells from TÜV Rheinland Japan, passing puncture test and extrusion test standards. The 37Ah battery cell was verified, evaluated and tested first in-house by Pylontech before being checked by TÜV Rheinland Japan engineers on the production line and then at the standards group’s laboratory. Like Germany, Japan’s energy storage market has high safety and performance standards and Pylontech has already achieved other necessary certifications and undergone testing through Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS), UL and

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TÜV Rheinland’s global head of power electronics and general manager for Greater China solar and commercial products, Li Weichun, said that 2PfG 2511 and VDE-AR-E 2510-50 are the “most rigorous certification standards in the world,” meaning that Huawei’s systems have overcome the world’s “most demanding energy storage market entry threshold”. Huawei’s LUNA2000 series of modular ESS now satisfies the requirements of the German market as well as other markets around the world, including in European Union territories. Huawei representatives were awarded their certificates from TÜV Rheinland at the recent SNEC 2021 solar industry event held in Shanghai, China. International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) for the PF37M cell. Pylontech said the cell has now been cleared to be used in the Japanese market for applications including residential, commercial and industrial, grid-scale and telecommunications and could qualify for government subsidy schemes designed to encourage uptake of household energy storage systems and reduce grid electricity consumption. In February this year, shortly after the company raised about US$300 million through a listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Pylontech said it is planning to have 4GWh of battery energy storage system (BESS) manufacturing capacity in operation within three years, more than doubling about 1.5GWh of annual manufacturing capacity which was on-stream in 2019.The company is active in markets including the US, Australia, Europe and China and reached 1GWh of cumulative ESS shippings worldwide by 2018. Source: energy-storage

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

energy storage

THREE WHEELS UNITED PARTNERS WITH PIAGGIO VEHICLES FOR ELECTRIC 3-WHEELERS Under the partnership, Three Wheels United will deploy 500 Piaggio vehicles in India. It will facilitate switching by drivers to electric vehicles and connect them to aggregator platforms

angalore-based financier of light electric vehicles Three Wheels United announced it has partnered with Piaggio Vehicles to accelerate the adoption of Electric threewheelers in India. Under the partnership, Three Wheels United will deploy 500 Piaggio vehicles in India. It will facilitate switching by drivers to electric vehicles and connect them to aggregator platforms.

Piaggio will offer support for maintenance and servicing of the vehicles. “We continue to expand our partnership with large electric vehicle manufacturers in a bid to make it easier for auto rickshaw drivers to switch to sustainable last-mile transportation,” Cedrick Tandong, CEO and Co-Founder, Three Wheels United, said.

The company said the Ape’ E-Xtra vehicles to be deployed under the partnership represent a powerful electric cargo with a 9.5 KW power output. It is customizable for applications like the delivery van and garbage collector. Source : economictimes

TESLA PLOTTING BATTERY-STORAGE ENTRY INTO JAPAN’S POWER MARKET Tesla Inc. is plotting an entry into Japan’s energy sector with plans to provide power companies with large storage batteries and energy management systems that will support the country’s shift to renewable energy, the Nikkei newspaper reported without attribution.

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esla will start by delivering batteries for an energy storage project in Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido. The 6-megawatt hour system, capable of meeting the power needs of about 500 households, will be overseen by Global Engineering Co. It will begin operation in 2022, a representative from the Japanese energy company said. The move comes as Japan seeks to increase its reliance on renewable energy. The country is aiming to have solar, wind, hydropower and other sources, make up more than a third of the nation’s power generation within the next decade, up from about a fifth today, in an aggressive push to reduce emissions.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

Tesla did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Large-scale batteries help support renewable installations — storing surplus energy and releasing it later, when the sun is not shining or wind is not blowing — and are being deployed to grids on an ever-growing scale globally. The push into Japan’s power sector follows similar, yet substantially larger, moves in the U.S. and Australia. Vistra Corp.’s Moss Landing energy storage in California is already the world’s largest and being expanded to a capacity of 400 megawatts, or 1,600 megawatt-hours, and is capable of providing power to 225,000 homes for four hours. A Tesla subsidiary is building a more than 100 megawatt energy storage project in Texas, capable of powering about 20,000 homes on a hot summer day. In Japan, Tesla’s entry into the energy sector may help hasten the country’s introduction of renewables. Tesla plans to sell its power units at about a fifth of local market prices, according to Nikkei. Source : bloomberg

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energy storage

UL, HYUNDAI TO PARTNER ON EVALUATION OF EV BATTERIES FOR ENERGY STORAGE

Safety science company UL is partnering with Hyundai Motor Company on a project to explore the safe deployment of used electric vehicle batteries for stationary energy storage. Under a memorandum of understanding signed in July, the two companies will collaborate on safety testing, assessments and a North American demonstration project for second-life battery energy storage systems. UL participated in the development of UL 1974, the 2018 standard for evaluating batteries that are intended to be repurposed, which has been adopted in the United States and Canada. Ken Boyce, senior director of principal engineering in UL’s Energy and Industrial Automation group, said the new work with Hyundai can help lead to “rigorous” and “non-destructive” evaluation standards that can further advance UL 1974.

DIVE INSIGHT: Most electric vehicle batteries are replaced when they no longer meet performance standards of 80% of usable capacity. A handful of startups and utilities working in partnership with automakers have sought to repurpose those batteries for energy storage. American Electric Power and Honda have explored possible uses for used batteries and Nissan piloted second-life battery use on the grid as early as 2015. General Motors has touted that its Ultium battery pack is designed with a secondlife applications in mind. According to a 2019 report by McKinsey, by 2030 the rise of electric vehicles will result in a supply of second-life batteries totaling more than 200 GWh annually, higher than the demand for lithium-ion utility-scale storage for low- and high-cycle applications combined. However, the market has been held back by several factors, including the variety of battery size, design and the lack of clear industry standards.

“No guarantees exist regarding second-life-battery quality or performance, and few industry standards focus on batterymanagement systems or state-of-health disclosures, let alone standard performance specifications for a battery that is to be used for a given application,” McKinsey wrote. Boyce said that one particular concern for second-life batteries is the threat of thermal runaway, where the cells in a lithium-ion battery overheat and can cause a cascading fire. A number of factors can contribute to thermal runaway, ranging from manufacturing defects and blunt impact to excessive heat. Determining how much wear and tear or what use factors might put a battery at risk for a fire can help inform which batteries and designs are safest for reuse. “Before you start to give [a battery] a second life, you want to make sure you understand how safe it is,” Boyce said, especially given the differing regulations that exist for motor vehicles and buildings. “There are aspects of the stationary infrastructure that can be more significant and consequential from a safety standpoint. For example, you can get out of a car if you needed to. But if you have an embedded energy storage system … and it’s fixed to the structure in a building, you don’t have that same kind of mobility response.”

Boyce added that with startups exploring different ways to repurpose batteries — either by pairing them together or disassembling them to extract cells — it was especially important to have a consistent approach to “co-managing safety and sustainability.”

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The new research also comes amid new questions about the safety of lithium-ion battery storage. Australian fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire at the Victorian Big Battery storage project, built with Tesla Megapack units. Four emergency responders were injured in a 2019 explosion at Arizona Public Service’s McMicken battery plant, an incident that forced state regulators to reconsider safety rules for the growing storage industry. Boyce said that research into recycling EV batteries can also inform standards and procedures for all types of stationary storage. “We always focus on a closed-loop system for gathering information from the field involving incidents or recalls or whatever may happen, and try to leverage that to try to drive for continued enhancement of safety standards,” he said. “This is just a great source of information for us to understand how batteries respond to that aging process … and a rich set of data to understand what might cause degradation that can ultimately lead to a potential safety concern and then be more proactive about trying to mitigate that through safety practices and assessments.” Source : utilitydive

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

energy storage

CAPITAL DYNAMICS SPINS OUT SOLAR AND STORAGE DEVELOPMENT GROUP AREVON Parent company Capital Dynamics bought Eland Solar + Storage in early 2020, a project currently under development pairing 400MWac of solar PV with 300MW / 1,200MWh in the Mojave Desert in California.

ajor US renewables investor Capital Dynamics has spun off its US clean energy infrastructure arm and merged it with its former asset management affiliate to create Arevon Energy, a new multi-gigawatt solar and energy storage platform. Arevon is backed by investors including the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), an investor group comprised of APG and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA). The company has launched with a portfolio comprising 4.5GW of operating, under construction and late-stage development solar and battery storage projects, as well as a 3GW pipeline. Arevon recently brought online Saticoy, a 100MW / 400MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Oxnard, California, which was built after local opposition to a new gas peaker plant. Projects the company now has in development include Capital Dynamics’ California Flats BESS, a 60MW / 240MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) which is being retrofitted to a 280MWac solar PV plant. The offtaker for that project’s output is technology giant Apple. Arevon said it was to leverage “significant industry experience” from its staff and new leadership team – which includes ex-Capital Dynamics, sPower and AES executives – to deliver customised clean energy solutions to utilities and corporations in the US. Furthermore the company said it intended to expand upon its platform through customer acquisition activities, M&A and new developments.

Speaking to sister site PV Tech, Arevon Energy CEO John Breckenridge said it was this scale – the business has total assets valued at US$12 billion – that stands to give Arevon sufficient strength in order to succeed in what is rapidly becoming a richly competitive US solar market. “That gives us the scale, in terms of procurement, in terms of how we operate, in terms of how we construct even in some of our development activities, relationships with off takers… all of those things that are beyond the cost of capital that are only really available if you have size, scale and vertical integration,” Breckenridge said.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

That vertical integration has been a key motivation in assembling Arevon, Breckenridge added, noting that the business’s aim is to integrate the capabilities of Capital Dynamics into Arevon and “drive further in that direction”. “I think that’s really the only way to succeed in this sector at the moment,” he said. Component procurement is a particular subject of interest given supply chain constraints and pricing volatility that is impacting purchasing practices, driven by both raw material costs and policy. Arevon is backing its scale to be effective here as well. “If you want access to batteries today, and you’re a small buyer, you’re going to be waiting a long time and paying high price. We’re buying billions of dollars worth of batteries, so that gives us a lot more opportunity to access that market. It’s the same thing with things like panels, and in all the other aspects of the business,” Breckenridge said. Arevon’s perspective is that the solar industry must adapt to the emerging power needs of businesses if they are to capture that business. For Breckenridge, this is where the combination of solar and storage comes into its own. “We’re going to provide customers with power the way they use it, and that involves complex combinations of solar-storage, power trading, all the things that you can put together to offer a total renewable solution that meets the customer’s needs,” he said. Arevon intends to be active in all of the US’ key markets such as California, but also in markets such as PJM where Breckenridge describes the market as smaller and more spread out. The south east of the country is also seeing considerable activity, with the company intent on establishing geographical diversity to mitigate any prospective risk in the market. Source: energy-storage

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energy storage

POLYMER SCIENTIST HELPS DEVELOP NEW TECHNIQUE FOR LARGE-SCALE ENERGY STORAGE The sale of electric vehicles (EV’s) has grown exponentially in the past few years as is the need for renewable energy sources to power them, such as solar and wind. There were nearly 1.8 million registered electric vehicles in the U.S. as of 2020, which is more than three times as many in 2016, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

lectric vehicles require power to be available anywhere and anytime without delay to recharge, but solar and wind are intermittent energy sources that are not available on demand. And the electricity they do generate needs to be stored for later use and not go to waste. That’s where Dr. Yu Zhu, a professor in The University of Akron’s School of Polymer Science and Polymer Engineering, and his research team come in, by developing a more stable way to store this important energy.

Just as the gas station today, electricity power stations need a storage system to keep the electricity for EV constantly charging. Low cost, scalable redox flow batteries (RFB) are among the most suitable technology for such a system; however, current RFBs use high-cost and environmentally hazardous active materials (electrolytes). Recently, water-soluble organic materials have been proposed as future electrolytes in the RFBs (namely aqueous organic RFBs, or AORFBs). Organic-based electrolytes can be obtained from renewable sources and manufactured with very low cost. However, the lack of stable water-soluble organic electrolyte materials, particularly the positive electrolyte (catholyte), is a major hurdle of AORFBs. Zhu’s research group, in collaboration with scientists in Pacific Northwestern National Laboratory led by Dr. Wei Wang, successfully developed the most stable catholyte (positive electrolyte) to date in AORFBs and demonstrated cells that kept more than 90% of capacity over 6,000 cycles, projecting more than 16 years of uninterrupted service in a pace of one cycle per day. Their research was recently published in Nature Energy and included contributions from Zhu’s doctoral students Xiang Li and Yun-Yu Lai.

Development of high-performance RFBs will enrich the category of electricity energy storage systems and complement the shortcoming of intermittent renewable energy sources, therefore largely improving the usability of electricity powered facilities, such as vehicles, says Zhu. “To significantly improve the performance of aqueous organic RFBs, the urgency of developing new catholyte is crucial.”

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In the Nature Energy paper, the team not only demonstrated a state of art catholyte in AORFBs, but also provided a brand-new strategy to design water soluble catholyte to enhance their solubility (energy density) in water. Instead of attaching a hydrophilic functional group to improve the solubility of the molecules, the researchers change the symmetry of molecules, which results in a dramatic enhancement of solubility. With the new design strategy, the team plans to design new materials they can further mature the RFBs. A patent application has been submitted based on the technology developed in this research. The scalability of the materials will be further studied in Akron PolyEnergy Inc., a spin-out company from UA co-founded by Zhu that focuses on the development of materials in energy storage devices including lithium-ion batteries and flow batteries. Source: sciencedaily

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

energy storage

CONNECTICUT’S 1 GW ENERGY STORAGE TARGET READY FOR GOVERNOR’S SIGNATURE Connecticut’s House of Representatives has signed off on a bill proposing a 1,000MW deployment target for energy storage by the end of 2030.

he lower house of the state’s lawmakers voted last week on 4 June on Senate Bill (SB) 952, ‘An act concerning energy storage,’ with all 143 Representatives present voting unanimously in favour, while eight were absent and did not vote. Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chair Marissa Gillett has been supportive of the role of energy storage in a cleaner, resilient electricity system for her state. After the upper house, the Senate, voted to pass the legislation on 20 May, the bill is now effectively enacted and awaits the signature of Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont. The national Energy Storage Association (ESA), which previously testified in support of the bill, said that Lamont is expected to sign the bill before the end of this month, with ESA interim CEO Jason Burwen applauding representatives for enacting the legislation. ESA also noted that two interim targets of 300MW by the end of 2024 and 650MW by the end of 2027 are in line with recommendations the trade association has made; in particular the 2024 target represents around 4% of the state’s summer peak load. ESA has said that a level of between 3% and 7% of state peak electrical load within two to three years of setting a target can be an appropriate initial benchmark level for storage, giving stakeholders a chance of “learning by doing”.

ESA’s Jason Burwen said that the legislation “will accelerate storage deployments that meet the state’s twin goals of decarbonisation and resilience while growing a local storage industry and new jobs”. “SB 952 is particularly important for creating a long-term demand signal and statutory foundation to sustain the important efforts that Governor Lamont and Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Chair Gillett have initiated to drive storage deployment forward. We salute the leadership of Rep. David Arconti and commend his colleagues for enacting this important legislation in support of Connecticut’s clean energy transition.”

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

Jason Burwen, Interim CEO at U.S. Energy Storage Association

(ESA)

Once the target is established, PURA and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) are required to report annually on progress towards the goal. Individually, PURA is then required to establish programmes to incentivise and deploy energy storage on the electric distribution system, based partly on a straw proposal the Authority previously made for 580MW of customer-sited storage; meanwhile DEEP is authorised to issue requests for proposals (RFPs) for energy storage projects — either standalone or paired with generation — to pursue to required goals. Connecticut will therefore be the eighth US state with an energy storage deployment target or mandate, following Virginia’s 3.1GW target set last year through its Clean Economy Act. ESA interim CEO Jason Burwen — then the group’s policy director — spoke to Energy-Storage.news about the seven states and their targets for an interview a while back.

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energy storage

MALDIVES ISSUES TENDER FOR 40MW / 40MWH OF BATTERY STORAGE

The Indian Ocean island nation of the Maldives has begun tendering for 40MW / 40MWh of battery energy storage systems across several regions.

he Republic of Maldives’ government said some of the proceeds of financing it has received from the World Bank to help accelerate renewable and sustainable energy integration will be used to pay for contracts. The Ministry of Finance issued an invitation to prequalify for the supply, installation, commissioning, operation and transfer of battery energy storage systems (BESS) on selected islands on 10 June. Interested parties have until 26 August to register with the Ministry and pay a US$100 registration fee. They must then submit their applications to prequalify by 2 September. News of the Maldives tender comes a few days after microgrid company DHYBRID said it has completed work on distributed solar-plus-storage systems on 26 of the country’s islands. The tender will be conducted in two lots, the first for 24MW / 24MWh of BESS at seven sites and Lot Two for 16MW / 16MWh at sites in five areas. Meanwhile the Maldivian Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology published a prequalification document which sets out the process and instructions to applicants as well as setting out project requirements. As the Maldives islands are dispersed and the population of around 540,000 people live around the 1,192 different islands, each region needs its own power generation and distribution system. Relying on imported diesel for electricity, the country is seeking to overcome economic and environmental burdens that this brings, largely by increasing the use of solar PV. Along with 187 islands inhabited by the Maldivian population, 123 islands are self-contained tourist resorts and 128 are primarily used for industry and commerce

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and the government is targeting 70% of renewable energy in the national energy mix by 2030 across all of them; a sharp increase from around just 4% today. The new drive for renewables through the World Bank’s Accelerating Renewable Energy Integration and Sustainable Energy (ARISE) project follows the previous Accelerating Sustainable Private Investment in Renewable Energy (ASPIRE) programme from the multi-lateral development bank, which has allowed the Maldives government to tender for several dozen megawatts of solar PV. ARISE is being paid for using loan and grant funding, with US$23 million of concessional loan money from the World Bank Clean Technology Fund to finance the BESS projects being tendered for. The battery systems will support grids where more than 30MW of solar PV will be installed through the ASPIRE programme. Applicants must be able to deliver turnkey BESS and energy management systems (EMS) to support solar PV-plus-diesel hybrid power systems. The tender is battery chemistry agnostic to lithium-ion batteries with NMC, NCA, LT or LFP chemistry. The tender follows shortly after Energy-Storage.news reported that Germany-headquartered microgrid developer DHYBRID has installed microgrid systems including solar and battery storage on 26 of the Maldives’ islands. The systems, which have a total capacity of 2.65MW of solar PV and 3.2MWh of battery storage, are notable for being controlled and monitored using one single SCADA system. They were installed through a programme of the Asian Development Bank, called Preparing Outer Islands for Sustainable Energy Development (POISED).

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

energy storage

MANUFACTURER REVEALS INVOLVEMENT IN WORLD’S BIGGEST BATTERY ENERGY STORAGE SYSTEM SO FAR LG Energy Solution has said that it was the supplier of battery storage systems and equipment to Vistra Energy’s recently commissioned record-breaking project in Monterey County, California.

oss Landing Energy Storage Facility has the world’s largest battery energy storage system (BESS) with 300MW / 1,200MWh of lithium-ion batteries. It began operations in December last year, located at the site of a former natural gas power plant owned by Vistra Energy, in the service area of California investor-owned utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E). Its primary use is helping California reduce its shortfall of electricity at peak times of demand in the evening, charging from the state’s cheap and abundant solar PV energy during the day and discharging it when the grid needs it most. Some of the 4,500+ LG Energy Solution battery racks at Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility. A second phase of the project will add another 100MW / 400MWh within the next few months, while Vistra said the site could later be expanded in size and capacity to host as much as 1,500MW / 6,000MWh of energy storage, should market and economic conditions make that feasible. South Korean battery and energy storage system manufacturer LG Energy Solution revealed that it supplied the more than 4,500 battery racks installed at the facility, based on its latest model, the TR1300 Transportable Rack. LG said the TR1300 racks are factory pre-assembled prior to shipping, which reduces construction time and installation costs. The racks are also tested before shipment to minimise the amount of onsite testing and commissioning work required. Equipped with LG Energy Solution’s JH4 high energy cell, the company said that the TR1300 racks could be fitted into the existing turbine halls of the Moss Landing Power Plant due to their ability to be double-stacked, minimising the amount of construction work required that building a bespoke housing for the battery

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

energy storage system (BESS) would have entailed. LG Energy Solution said the TR1300 has been tested under the UL 9540A thermal runaway fire propagation standard and the rack design satisfies California Building Code requirements which deem it safe to use around the threat of seismic activity. Vistra’s senior VP of strategy and development Claudia Morrow said that LG Energy Solution will be supplying the extra racks for Phase 2 of Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility, while LG Energy Solution’s US director of energy storage Peter Gibson commended Vistra’s team for its work in repurposing the former turbine hall into the world’s largest battery storage project. There is also another of the world’s largest battery storage systems at the Moss Landing site, which has caused some confusion among members of the media and industry, called Moss Landing BESS. That project is 182.5MW / 730MWh and was developed by PG&E, supplied instead with BESS equipment by Tesla. Meanwhile, Vistra Energy’s other current activities in energy storage including developing plans for a project in California’s Morrow Bay which at 600MW would be twice as large in rated output terms as the company’s Moss Landing project. Vistra is planning to achieve full net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and along the way will retire 7,500MW of coal generation and deploy around 9GW of renewables by 2030. In April, Vistra Energy renewed an earlier call for the introduction of legislation to help accelerate the retirement of coal in the US state of Illinois, and replacing it largely with solar-plus-storage facilities. Vistra said that mounting financial and legal pressures associated with operating coal plants had led it to bring forward plans to retire an Illinois coal power plant it owns by three years, from 2025 to 2022. Aerial view of the site, where a natural gas power plant has been replaced with emissionsfree lithium battery tech.

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international

HOW SINGAPORE AND ASIA’S TECH SECTOR CAN LEAD IN RENEWABLE ENERGY ADOPTIO With the launch of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Singapore has set its sights on scaling its net-zero ambitions, with a focus on greening its tech sector.

utting commitment to action, the government has imposed a moratorium on the building of new data centres – given its intensive consumption of electricity and water – as it seeks more sustainable options. In addition to developing individual corporate strategies and keeping an eye on the latest technical developments, one of the most important steps ICT companies can take is to request changes in the RE100 criteria that would allow them to claim imported renewable energy to achieve RE targets. This underscores the urgency for the region’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to seek sustainable alternatives, to ensure continued economic growth in an increasingly environmentally-conscious Asia. Similar to how the ICT sector has driven the renewables market in the U.S. and Europe, it has the potential to accelerate the development of renewable energy opportunities in APAC. The recent growth and proliferation of ICT companies is unprecedented, with Asia accounting for 52 per cent of global growth in the revenue of technology companies over the last decade. Furthermore, the region is predicted to be the fastest-growing location for data centres over the next five years. On a global scale, the ICT sector continues to play an outsize role in accelerating the transition to clean energy. RE100 — a leading global initiative that brings together hundreds of large businesses committed to adopting 100 per cent renewable electricity — counts ICT companies for almost a fifth of its current membership. Collectively, they have purchased just under a quarter of total renewable energy available, with demand only set to grow further. As the ICT sector’s operational footprint increases in APAC, so will its energy requirements and corresponding carbon footprint. Unique, disruptive changes in this sector make it hard to quantify future renewable energy demands, but it is predicted that in order to transition to 100% clean energy, the ICT sector’s demand for renewable energy would account for between 11% and 30% of the total renewable energy generation in the region. To successfully navigate the complexities of these diverse markets and to take advantage of new opportunities provided by national initiatives, ICT companies with ambitious renewables goals must embed flexibility within their clean energy strategy and explore innovative solutions. Firstly, ICT leaders need to develop a flexible strategy. Every country has its specific economic, technological, and regulatory parameters, which must be dealt with on an individual basis. In devising a strategy that will successfully lead to increased use of renewables, and ultimately to 100% green energy, it is essential for leaders to familiarise themselves with the details of each country’s policies and to take advantage of any renewable energy opportunities that are available. In situations where conditions are uncertain, ICT corporations should focus their efforts on purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates, which have annual contract durations; this will enable organisations to quickly adopt power purchase agreements (PPAs) as they become more available. Secondly, leaders will need to tap on innovative solutions.

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Though still limited in number, there are already several examples of countries and corporations finding innovative clean energy solutions. For example, VPPAs — which allow smaller buyers and companies without energy trading expertise to participate — are currently being developed by the private sectors between Singapore and Malaysia. The Indian government is evaluating the feasibility of VPPAs to increase access to renewable energy for corporations. There are also technical innovations being pursued to facilitate the importation of clean energy. For example, Suncable is planning to establish the world’s first intercontinental power grid between Singapore and Australia. This project aims to harness and store solar power generated in Australia and transmit this energy via a high-voltage direct current transmissions system to Singapore. The arrangement would address the land scarcity issues in Singapore, while supplying up to 20% of the country’s total electricity needs. The Singapore and Japanese governments are also evaluating the technical and economic feasibility of importing green hydrogen from Australia to accelerate their clean energy transition. As some of the first customers for this electricity, technology companies will play a critical role in making these solutions economically viable. Finally, ICT leaders need to be the advocates for change. In addition to developing individual corporate strategies and keeping an eye on the latest technical developments, one of the most important steps APAC ICT companies can take is to request changes in the RE100 criteria that would allow them to claim imported renewable energy to achieve RE targets. This would serve to promote cross-border transfers and help transform the APAC power grid – leading the region, and the world, that much closer to 100% renewable energy.

HITTING THE RENEWABLE ENERGY MARK While adoption of renewable energy in APAC has been slow, the market is changing rapidly and a growing number of companies in the region are making a difference. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TMSC), a key supplier of chipsets for Apple, signed PPAs for 1,200MW of clean energy, making it the leader in corporate PPAs in Taiwan. Tencent had also recently become the first large Chinese technology company to announce its intention to achieve net-zero emissions by 2060, with renewable procurement as a main decarbonisation lever. With increased demand fuelled by the technology sector, growing pressure to decarbonise the region, and an influx of new commercial and technological innovations, Singapore, alongside APAC, can achieve its net-zero ambitions, if it taps on the tremendous growth in renewable energy opportunities in the coming decade. As economic, technological and regulatory conditions evolve, organisations with ambitious sustainability goals can ride the crest of the wave to accelerate their transformation.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

international

EUROPEAN UNION SOLAR POWER GENERATION HITS RECORD HIGH IN JUNE, JULY Solar power supply in the European Union during June and July rose to a record high in 2021, accounting for 10% of total electricity produced in the region, a report by independent climate think-tank Ember said

he 27 countries in the bloc generated nearly 39 terawatt hours (TWh) of power from solar panels during June and July, up 10.9 TWh from 2018, data from Ember showed. New records were also set in eight EU countries, including Spain and Germany, the report said, as the production and use of panels increased.

There are exciting green shoots in core solar markets where solar is taking off, but overall it is not growing fast enough, analyst for Ember Charles Moore said. Total generation from solar panels lagged the electricity supply from coal, which stood at 14% for the region in June and July of 2021, the report said. As part of a package of climate policies, the European Commission has proposed an overhaul of renewable energy rules, which decide how quickly the bloc must increase the use of sources such as wind, solar and biomass energy produced from burning wood pellets or chips. It has set an interim target for the EU to raise the share of such renewable energy to 40% of final consumption by 2030, up from roughly 20% in 2019. The Ember data showed Germany maintained the largest share of solar power production in the region, going from 11.5 TWh to 13.4 TWh, which accounted for 17% of overall electricity produced in the country during the summer period in 2021.

Spain had the largest growth for the summer period over four years, more than doubling from 3.1 TWh in 2018 to 6.4 TWh in 2021, which accounted for 16% of total electricity produced in the country in 2021, the data showed. The Netherlands showed the second largest growth over four years, nearly tripling production from solar panels to 3.2 TWh from 1.1 TWh in 2018, expanding the country’s total power share by 10% to 17%. The substantial increase in power production in both countries was a “reflection” of ambitious legislation, Charles said. Italy was the third largest producer of energy from solar panels in 2021 but did not see substantial growth over the same period, going from 5.7 TWh to nearly 6 TWh, the data showed. Solar supply in the EU-27 rose by an average 14 TWh per year in 2019 and 2020 and is expected to do the same in 2021, but will need to over double to 30 TWh per year to meet 2030 climate targets, the report said. Source: Reuters

MALAKOFF’S SUBSIDIARY SIGNS SIX NEW SOLAR PROJECTS WITH DRB-HICOM GROUP Malakoff Corporation Bhd’s subsidiary Malakoff Radiance Sdn Bhd has completed the signing of six solar power purchase agreements (SPPAs) for the development of rooftop solar energy systems with companies under the DRB-HICOM Group.

n a statement, it said the SPPAs involved companies under the manufacturing and engineering arms of DRB-Hicom namely CTRM Aero Composites Sdn Bhd, HICOM Automotive Manufacturers (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Isuzu HICOM (M) Sdn Bhd, HICOM Teck-See Manufacturing Sdn Bhd, HICOM Bhd and Motosikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd. It said the solar facilities would be installed under a build-own-operatetransfer contract as part of a 25-year SPPA. “Upon completion, these facilities are expected to generate 18,836 megawatt hours (MWh) of clean electricity per annum. These will collectively neutralise about 13,072 tonnes of carbon emissions per year from the manufacturing industry,” it said. Malakoff said it also recently secured other rooftop solar projects with AEON Co (M) Bhd, Northport (Malaysia) Bhd, Johor Port Bhd and Pos Malaysia Bhd. “All these projects combined, with a total capacity of 25,444 kWp (kilowatt peak), will generate 33,243 MWh per annum and neutralise 23,070 tonnes of carbon emissions per year,” it added.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

Malakoff managing director and chief executive officer Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib said the company is on the right track to capture new growth opportunities in the renewable energy sector as the project is another milestone in its expansion of the rooftop solar segment. “We have the capacity and capability to further embark on collaboration and ventures with any business entity for rooftop solar systems. “As a leading player in the power and waste management sector, our clients and partners trust our ability to help them achieve their agenda on tackling carbon emissions,” he said.

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international

MAXEON TO SUPPLY SOLAR MODULES FOR LAS VEGAS SOLAR AND STORAGE PROJECT Maxeon Solar Technologies will supply approximately one GW of its high efficiency bifacial Performance 5 UPP solar panels for the construction of the Gemini solar plus storage power plant project located near Las Vegas, Nevada.

he project will be built, owned, and operated by Primergy Solar. The agreement calls for modules to be supplied over a four-quarter period starting in the second quarter of 2022; project completion is planned by the end of 2023.

“We are thrilled to select Maxeon Solar Technologies to supply solar modules for our Gemini solar and energy storage project in southern Nevada. Because of Maxeon’s high module power output and demonstrated long-term reliability, we are able to deliver the optimal energy output to our customer while minimizing impacts to the desert ecosystem,” said Ty Daul, Primergy CEO. “The proximity of Maxeon’s module factory to our project site was also a key consideration, offering significant logistical benefits, reduced supply chain carbon impacts, and ultimately reduced costs for energy consumers.” Gemini is planned to feature nearly 1.8 million shingled bifacial Performance 5 UPP solar modules that are engineered with materials innovations that range from encapsulants to aerospace-grade conductive adhesives. These materials protect cells and minimize power loss from exposure to the extreme environmental conditions in Nevada, including arid deserts and vast daily and seasonal temperature ranges. Maxeon’s Performance 5 solar panels have a rated efficiency of up to 21.1%.

“We are pleased to supply Primergy as the module technology provider for this iconic project, which will be one of the largest operational solar power system in the U.S. when completed, delivering emission-free power for homes and businesses in Nevada,” said Jeff Waters, CEO of Maxeon Solar Technologies.

Ty Daul, Primergy CEO

Jeff Waters CEO of Maxeon Solar Technologies

“The size and importance of this project is yet another example of how our utility scale customers trust Maxeon for their solar power plants in the U.S. and around the world. By using our shingled technology, they benefit from the continuous innovation and the demonstrated reliability that we offer to the utility scale segment. With our value proposition of long-term high-output performance and field-proven durability, utility scale plant owners and operators can maximize power generation and benefit from predicable returns on their investment for 30 years or more.” The Gemini project is expected to provide a stable foundation to support the start-up and initial operation of Maxeon’s new Performance line module capacity that will serve the U.S. solar power market. Using large-format G12 mono-PERC solar cells manufactured by Maxeon in Malaysia, and module assembly by Maxeon in Mexicali, Mexico, it is anticipated that this project will take a significant portion of the expected output of Maxeon’s new capacity during the first year of operation. Source: solarbuildermag

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SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

international

MAXEON SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES PROVIDES PREMIUM COMMERCIAL SOLAR TO BETTY BARCLAY GROUP HEADQUARTERS IN GERMANY Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ:MAXN), a global leader in solar innovation and channels, announced that its industry-leading SunPower Maxeon solar panels are powering the Headquarters of Betty Barclay Group, a leading international retailer of modern women’s wear, located in Nußloch, in south-west Germany.

overing a surface area of about 3,800 square meters, the 750kWp installation featuring 1724 SunPower Maxeon solar panels, is expected to yield an estimated 765,000 kWh of clean solar energy each year, equivalent to 460,000 kg of annual CO2 emissions avoided.Betty Barclay Group estimates that more than 90% of the electricity produced, or about 700,000 kWh per year, will be used on-site, with the remaining 10% being fed into the local electricity grid.

Robert Küper, Chief Executive Officer of Betty Barclay Group, mentions the role of the company’s philosophy in this undertaking: “At Betty Barclay, we see our responsibility to use natural resources as sparingly and in as much an environmental friendly manner as possible, true to our company claim We Respect – Humans and Nature. This does not just apply to our products, but to the entire organization. Our solar rooftop installation is an integral part of our sustainability strategy, at the same time it makes economic sense for us. The high efficiency and 25-year product and performance warranty means more energy and cost savings for us in the long term.” Solar Activ, a SunPower Premier Partner since 2012, was chosen to implement the solar installation. Next to the quality of SunPower Maxeon solar panels, their comprehensive guidance and technical expertise were deciding factors for Betty Barclay Group. Due to the challenging conditions of the installation site, a flat roof made of steel rails and concrete tiles, Solar Activ designed a custom mounting system that ensured wind resistance requirements, and delivered an aesthetically pleasing result.

Manuel Peter, Founder and Managing Director of Solar Activ, clarifies the company’s approach: “Our goal is to understand our customers and their exact needs to design individual solutions that fit their specific requirements. In doing so, we focus on high-end products of the highest quality. SunPower Maxeon panels are unmatched in efficiency, reliability, durability and robustness, providing higher value to our customers.” Peter also praised the sustainability of SunPower Maxeon panels, which earned the Cradle to Cradle Certified— Bronze designation after going through a rigorous evaluation of sustainable practices. “We value our long-term relationships with sales and installation organizations like Solar Activ, with the commercial and technical expertise needed to satisfy the requirements of our increasingly sophisticated customer base,” said Karsten Mosch, National Sales Director Germany, Maxeon Solar Technologies.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

Robert Küper, Chief Executive Officer of Betty Barclay Group

Karsten Mosch, National Sales Director Germany, Maxeon Solar Technologies “Germany is one of largest solar markets, and also one of Maxeon’s first. For more than 35 years, our technology has enabled customers to go green and gain independence from fluctuating electricity prices by producing their own long-term solar energy. The winning combination of our leading-edge technology and our qualified partner network enables us to offer superiorquality solar solutions that address increasing self-consumption trends in Germany and in Europe, allowing for a more sustainable future for us and the generations to come.”Maxeon Solar Technologies continues to experience robust demand for its market-leading solar panels with partners like Solar Activ. Increasingly, many commercial and industrial companies in Europe are embracing solar energy as part of their environmental sustainability vision.

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asia pacific

THIS INNOVATIVE NEW SOLAR-POWERED CATAMARAN USES A GIANT KITE FOR EVEN MORE SPEED

The new appendage allows the boat to travel up to 5 knots faster. t looks like kites are taking off in the marine industry. Silent Yachts, whose solar-powered fleet continues to grow apace, has just unveiled a new catamaran that uses a giant kite to generate even more power and speed. The solar-electric vessel is one of eight Silent 60 hulls currently under construction at the yard’s Thailand production facility, but it’s the first one to feature the new technology. Silent says the kite wing allows the 30-ton cat to travel up to 5 knots faster, giving it a maximum speed of 20 knots. Designed by Wingit, the light and compact kite fuses seamlessly with the vessel. Unlike a traditional sail, it doesn’t require a big mast and therefore is far easier to operate. According to Silent, it’s more powerful, too, with the ability to generate up to 10 times more grunt per square foot than conventional sails. The kite, which spans just shy of 140 square feet, attaches to a small 2-foot mast via four Kevlar ropes. For launch, it first gets inflated by an electric pump before it’s thrown overboard to drift away with the wind. While in the air, the automatic steering can take over and the kite can climb more than 393 feet above the vessel to increase propulsion. To retrieve the kite, the owner or crew uses the electric winch to pull it above the front deck. When not in use, the kite wing and its components can be stored in the bow, out of sight. Aside from added speed, the kite reduces the amount of energy required from the e-motors and thus extends the vessel’s range: It can cruise for up to 100 miles a day for weeks on end. The kite also serves as backup propulsion should a floating fishing line get tangled in the propellers, for instance.

“The kite system sounds like the perfect match for windy days together with the electric propulsion system of Silent Yachts,” the German owner said in a statement. “I am an enthusiast of new technologies which help, little by little, to overcome the ecological challenges we are facing today.”

In addition to the kite-sail system, the 60-footer sports a high-performance hull with a long waterline, reverse bow and low draft for added efficiency. It also packs an array of green tech for silent and sustainable cruising sans any emissions. The 42 rooftop solar panels send kilowatts to banks of lithium batteries that in turn power the e-motors and the onboard amenities. Onboard, the spacious interior features an airy main saloon and four guest cabins on the lower deck. Elsewhere, the bow and flybridge offer space for alfresco lounging while the bridge deck can hold water toys, stand-up paddle boards, kayaks and even e-bikes. The catamaran also features a liftable hydraulic platform located between two swim platforms aft that can store a pair of electric Jet Skis or a large tender.

The catamaran features a liftable hydraulic platform located between two swim platforms.

“The Silent 60 is the first example of a new generation of solar electric catamarans that we produce and many more will follow,” the company’s CEO Michael Köhler added.

The vessel can cruise for up to 100 miles a day for weeks on end.

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Indeed, the yard has received 17 orders for the Silent 60 to date and is offering the new kite-sail system for all its models. It’s not the only kite-powered yacht concept that’s been floated in the industry, either. Last year, Red Yacht Design and Dykstra Naval Architects unveiled a 211-foot superyacht fitted with a giant kite to help propel it through the ocean. Source: robbreport

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

asia pacific

AC ENERGY AND NEFIN TO WORK ON DISTRIBUTED SOLAR PROJECTS Philippines’ AC Energy and Hong Kong-based solar developer NEFIN will work on distributed solar projects to work towards carbon neutrality in Asia. AC Energy’s wholly owned subsidiary AC Renewables International (ACRI) will form a joint venture with NEFIN to develop, build and operate rooftop solar projects across Asia. According to the statement, distributed power generation is expected “to be an increasingly important pillar of the global energy transition”.

he new firm will have generate 21 megawatts (MW) of power and will develop projects with geographies covering Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, and Taiwan, with potential expansion to Australasian countries. ACRI will initially invest $10 million into the joint venture. John Yeap of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law, said: “Distributed generation by way of solar rooftop is undoubtedly going to grow across the region. Various countries have already implemented regulations permitting the sale of power directly to a commercial and industrial (C&I) consumer, either through direct wire or through wheeling arrangements.

We will no doubt see developments in this space in the coming few years, driven not least by companies looking to meet their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) commitments including in relation to reducing their carbon footprint.” AC Energy is the energy platform of Ayala, one of the largest business groups in the Philippines. ACEN plans to achieve its goal of reaching 5,000MW of renewables capacity by 2025. Source: pinsentmasons

WOMEN OF GLOBAL CHANGE HOLDS SUMMER SOLSTICE EVENT TO SUPPORT SOLAR POWER Women of Global Change is hosting an educational Summer Solstice to teach people negotiation skills in business and embrace becoming the CEO of their dreams with Eugene Gold and Eldonna Lewis Fernandez.

GC is on a mission to support the increase of solar power usage as they Light Up the World. Women of Global Change (WGC) on Sunday, August 29th at 10 am PDT is hosting a virtual event to Light Up the World in support of the WGC Philippines Chapter as they bring solar power to families homes.

WGC encourages sustainability and education to those most in need with service projects throughout the globe. Lovanne Gallo, Philippine WCG Chapter President shared, “It is a simple light, but for them, this makes a BIG impact for their lives- We are giving the Dumagat Tribe Families a hope to survive, see each other at a table at night and provide a light for children to read. This solar initiative also impacts climate change through conservation and the reduction of energy.” To support this mission the Summer Solstice Event focuses on the power of negotiations and wealth growth for members around the world. Author of the “Go Pink Rules of Engagement”, Accredited Toastmasters Speaker, veteran, and government contractor: Eldonna Lewis Fernandez, will be speaking about how to successfully negotiate in business.

Members of Women of Global Change are often building out their international businesses and Eldonna has created one using her negotiation skills. Eugene Gold, the founder of Argus Merchant Services and ranked number 64 in Fortune 5000, is a financial maverick and will teach attendees about how to create more wealth with increased sales and better international payment possibilities. It is possible to be the CEO of your dreams with the right resources, network and service. The Women of Global Change is an international multipleaward-winning non-profit 501c3 organization whose impact has crossed into multiple continents. The Women of Global Change has been honored by the U.S. Senate, U.S. Congress, also WGC has received White House awards for their service accomplishments, and recognitions from four U.S. Presidents, plus many International Magistrates and more with over 50,000+ families served globally to date. WGC participates in educational initiatives, business networking events, and national and international projects of betterment through a variety of different programs, social impact missions, and leadership practices. WGC members work together in business, power, and spirit to provide a better world for women, children, and all humankind.

The Chapter has already been able to help 25 families in the village with their efforts and with a donation of $150.00 it is possible to light up another home and give a family a lifeline of opportunity. All tickets purchased for this event and donations are tax-deductible and a blessing to those less fortunate.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

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asia pacific

THE ‘ENERGY PATRIOTS’ BRINGING ELECTRICITY TO INDONESIA’S REMOTE VILLAGES For millions of villagers in Indonesia’s remote areas, a 12-hour-per-day erratic electricity supply is the norm. With students studying by candlelight at night and health centres not running at full capacity, these communities face an uphill struggle to improve their well-being.

ut a recently launched UN-led initiative could change that, thanks to a group of Indonesians dubbed “energy patriots” who have been tasked to boost the use of clean energy resources, with the goal of improving access to healthcare, education and economic development in rural villages. 29-year-old environmentalist Ristifah is one of 23 energy patriots who will be working closely with villagers as part of the UN Development Programme’s (UNDP) clean energy project The five-year initiative aims to instal solar panels in some of the remotest islands of Indonesia.

Growing up in a rural village, Ristifah experienced coping with a limited electricity supply first-hand; “We only had three hours of electricity a day”. With limitations on when they could charge their phones and access the internet, Ristifah and her peers felt cut off from developments across the rest of Indonesia. Now, Ristifah and her colleagues will be spending a year living in their assigned villages to prepare the infrastructure for solar energy generation. Their tasks include helping the community to determine electricity tariffs, liaising with contractors, recruiting operators and technicians, and helping the local renewable energy service providers to manage new power plants.

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago nation, with 17,000 islands sprawled across three different time zones, many of which are out of reach of the national electricity grid. Ristifah will be assigned to a coastal fishing village of Muna, in southeastern Sulawesi Province. Like most island villages, Muna is heavily dependent on fuel-fired generators for its electricity. Such generators are often inadequate for communities’ needs, and the toxic fumes they spew that can harm the environment and cause health issues including respiratory illnesses and cancer. A more consistent rural electricity supply could open opportunities for greater economic development and help people in remote villages like Muna to lead healthier lives. Ristifah bears the heavy responsibility of ensuring the success of the project, but it’s one she’s keen to embrace: she will move 1,500 km away from her home on Indonesia’s most populous island of Java, to take up her post as Muna’s energy facilitator. But she says that the chance to make a difference in the lives of her compatriots makes that sacrifice worthwhile.

SDG7: CLEAN AND AFFORDABLE ENERGY Sustainable Development Goal 7 calls for access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. Progress on this Goal is being made, with encouraging signs that energy is becoming more sustainable and widely available. However, 789 million people – predominantly in sub-Saharan Africa – are living without access to electricity, and hundreds of millions more only have access to very limited or unreliable electricity. It is estimated that only 28 per cent of health facilities have access to reliable electricity in sub-Saharan Africa, yet energy is critically needed to keep people connected at home and to run life-saving equipment in hospitals.

AN URGENT NEED FOR CLEAN ENERGY Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country, urgently needs clean energy capacity: the blistering pace of economic development over the past decade has lifted millions out of poverty, but it has also dramatically increased the demand for energy. The government has pledged to phase out all coalfired power stations by 2055, but some 30 million people out of the country’s population of around 267 million do not have adequate access to electricity. Ristafah and her colleagues will oversee the installation of 1.2 MW off-grid solar- power plants, which will provide electricity for around 20,000 people in remote villages; although that is only a fraction of Indonesia’s total unmet needs, the programme serves as a blueprint for rural development that goes beyond basic socio-economic support. Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology (BPPT)Some 126 homes in Bangko village in South Sulawesi, Indonesia will benefit from solar-powered electricity.

I hope to inspire more girls to achieve higher education, she said. “I dream of the day when the houses sparkle with lights that the community installed, and children can have a better future.” Those sparkling lights will help to lessen inequalities between Indonesians across the country according to the UN Resident Coordinator in Indonesia Valerie Julliand. “The difference in the pace of development between urban and rural areas has often been stark, in large part due to discrepancies in access to power,” said Ms Julliand says, adding that the work undertaken by the energy patriots will “ensure communities have a say in how important infrastructure projects that affect their lives are developed. They can go a long way towards addressing urban-rural inequality.” Promoting the adoption of sustainable energy sources is a key component of the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy aims to accelerate access to electricity in poorer countries whilst improving energy efficiency and renewable sources of power. Verania Andria, Senior Advisor for UNDP’s Sustainable Energy Strategic Programme in Indonesia, said that the project drives home the “importance of our principle of leaving no behind as Indonesia makes great strides towards economic development,” adding that the “energy patriots show us that we can implement inclusive and sustainable rural energy development projects that could be replicated in rural communities around the world.” Source: devdiscourse

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SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

asia pacific

INDONESIA SETS EYES ON BECOMING WORLD’S GEOTHERMAL SUPERPOWER Indonesia’s potential to generate energy from the earth’s crust could solve its power problems and fire its ailing economy. But the country needs to do more to lure investors.

traddling the seismically active Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is one of the most geologically active countries in the world, with churning molten rock beneath the archipelago triggering about 1,000 tremors a month. The heat generated by movement in the Earth’s bowels can be harnessed. Where water seeps into the ground, it warms up, creating energy that can power homes and industry if you drill deep enough. In 1904, Italian scientist Piero Ginori Conti became the first person to use this type of energy to power several light bulbs. More than a century later, geothermal power has become an important source of renewable electricity from the United States to the Philippines, but Indonesia wants to rise above them all. Home to 40 per cent of the world’s geothermal resources, Indonesia’s government has identified more than 300 sites with an estimated 24 GW in geothermal energy reserves—the world’s largest— across islands including Sumatra, Java, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi and Maluku. Most of this remains untapped. Three years ago, it overtook the Philippines to become the second-largest geothermal power producer globally. Now, it only tails the United States, which has a capacity of 2.6 GW. In a push to become the world’s geothermal powerhouse, Southeast Asia’s biggest economy aims to install 8 gigawatts (GW) of geothermal capacity by 2030, up from about 2.1 GW currently. Geothermal plants use steam from underground reservoirs of hot water to spin a turbine, which drives a generator to produce electricity. An inexhaustible source of heat, geothermal is relatively clean and does not emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases, doesn’t produce a lot of waste or make a large footprint on land. Unaffected by the whims of nature, geothermal can generate a stable baseload power around

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

the clock to complement more variable output from other green sources, including wind and solar. Indonesia has recognised that geothermal power must play a central role in its efforts to meet soaring energy demand, achieve its goal of sourcing 23 per cent of its energy from renewables by 2025, and cut carbon emissions to net-zero by 2060. Increasing domestic capacity will also help Indonesia cushion itself from the risks associated with its dependence on fossil fuel imports and associated price fluctuations while reducing fossil fuel subsidies, which gobble Rupiah 70.5 trillion (US$4.9 billion) a year. Indonesia’s idea to draw energy from the bowels of the Earth goes back to the Dutch colonial era. Trial well drilling began at Java’s Kamojang crater as early as 1926, although it would take several more decades until the first generator was installed to produce electricity. By the mid-1980s, several geothermal plants were in operation and explorations on other islands were underway. In 2018, a consortium of Japanese and Indonesian firms completed the US$1.17 billion Sarulla project in North Sumatra, the world’s biggest geothermal power plant at the time with a capacity of 330 megawatts, enough to power 330,000 homes. As of 2020, Indonesia had 19 existing geothermal working areas and 45 new working areas, while 14 areas had been earmarked for preliminary surveys and exploration, according to government data. A total of 16 geothermal power plants have been built.

INVESTORS STAY AWAY Despite the sheer scale of its potential, the sector has experienced setbacks. The government’s plans for the industry largely hinge on private money, but major policy uncertainties and the government’s adverse pricing regime for renewables continue to deter investors and drive up costs, making geothermal projects less viable. Due to this poor investment climate, the energy and mineral resources ministry conceded last year, progress on its ambition to install 7.2 GW of geothermal capacity by 2025, a target enshrined in its electricity

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asia pacific

procurement plan (RUPTL), will be delayed by five years. It is estimated that Indonesia will require US$15 billion in investment to meet this goal. The list of market restraints is long. Two key obstacles are the lack of favourable rates for the power that developers feed into the grid and the high upfront risks facing firms in the exploration stage. Drilling wells can be a gamble because companies never know exactly how big a geothermal reserve they will find. This clouds the economics of geothermal ventures. “Pricing has been a problem for renewable energy in Indonesia, especially for geothermal energy, because the development costs are very high,” Florian Kitt, a Jakartabased energy specialist at the Asian Development Bank told Eco-Business. Complicating matters further is that geothermal resources are often found in remote areas, further increasing costs. The government will need to throw other renewables into the mix to achieve least-cost electricity generation, Kitt said. “The government wants to be a world leader in geothermal energy, and it will eventually be, but right now it makes more sense to look at how to best diversify and green Indonesia’s energy supply to meet demand at least cost. Key is an affordable mix of geothermal, solar, wind, hydro, biomass, and other renewable energy sources,” he said. Indonesia also hasn’t laid the necessary groundwork to draw investment. From inadequate grid management and cumbersome negotiation practices to poorly designed power purchase agreements, there are myriad barriers the nation needs to tackle, according to an ADB report released last year. While the adoption of international best practices for planning, procurement, contracting and risk mitigation will likely bring down clean energy costs, the government has not adequately “taken into account the dependency of renewable energy costs on the broader regulatory and commercial environment”, according to the bank. A recent report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, an independent Canadian think tank, showed that out of the 75 power purchase agreements that clean energy firms had signed with government-owned utility company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) between 2017 and 2018, 36 per cent had not reached financial closing, and nearly 7 per cent had been terminated.

Florian Kitt,Energy Specialist (Coordinator Indonesia Energy Program), Asian Development Bank (ADB) The regulation is meant to fix the pricing mechanism for geothermal power and mitigate early development risks through fiscal incentives and state-funded well drilling. Under the scheme, energy planners have also proposed a subsidy to close the gap between the geothermal power tariffs and PLN’s basic cost of electricity, a policy previously recommended by the ADB to encourage the state utility to buy more clean energy. At present, caps on PLN’s retail prices act as a strong disincentive for the firm to purchase anything but the lowest-cost electricity, which is typically coal-fired. “There are massive opportunities in geothermal energy. The sector will be critical for Indonesia to achieve its sustainable energy ambitions,” said Septia Buntara Supendi, manager for sustainable energy and energy efficiency at the Asean Centre for Energy, a think tank based in Jakarta. “But if Indonesia doesn’t develop a clearer framework, the sector will find it difficult to thrive.”

NEW HOPE To plug the industry’s funding gap, the government has backed research on small-scale geothermal plants that come with smaller investment needs and risks compared to bigger facilities. The state also provides tax incentives and has streamlined previously tedious permit processes. In remote areas, it has engaged communities to improve public acceptance of geothermal development. Local opposition to geothermal plants has hamstrung projects in the past. The government’s focus on de-risking geothermal exploration to incentivise private investment has been an important step towards increasing geothermal development, according to Kitt. But a presidential regulation announced last year that is predicted to revitalise the renewables sector remains stuck in limbo. While a draft is on the table, the different ministries are still debating the budgetary impacts of the scheme as the Covid-19 pandemic continues wreaking havoc on the economy, soaking up government resources.

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Septia Buntara Supendi, manager for sustainable energy & energy efficiency at the Asean Centre for Energy

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

asia pacific

BLACKROCK GOING AFTER GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE-FOCUSED IGIS PE IN KOREA

ultinational asset managing behemoth BlackRock is after Korea-based IGIS Private Equity Fund (IGIS PE) for its strength in offshore wind and solar power infrastructures. BlackRock is said to be in the final stage of negotiation to take over IGIS PE’s stake from its IGIS Asset Management and its affiliates, according to industry sources. Financial terms were not known. IGIS PE specializes in investment in renewable energy infrastructures like wind and solar farms. The firm established KREDO, a unit for managing investment in renewable energy development and operations, in 2019 and created a fund worth 200 billion won ($174.6 million) in the same year together with state-run Korea Electric Power Industrial Development to invest in solar power and energy storage system (ESS) businesses. Last year, the PE firm partnered up with local environmental engineer SM E&C for investment in a 1.6-gigawatt offshore wind project. BlackRock with $8.68 billion assets under management as of the end of 2020 would be returning to Korea after it sold off its unit on public fund investment to DGB Asset Management in March. With IGIS PE under its arm, the U.S. fund could demand more green and sustainable commitments from Korean big companies Samsung Electronics, Naver, and Kakao, where it holds a sizable stake. Larry Fink, the founder and CEO of BlackRock, in his

annual letters sent to CEOs at the conglomerate’s units early last year, stressed on the importance of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects in investment. BlackRock recently created a $4.8 billion fund to invest in over 250 renewable power assets around the world. Over 100 institutional investors including public and private funds and insurance firms from 18 countries reportedly joined the fund. In Korea, the Korea Transportation Management pooled in 200 billion won from five local institutions to commit to BlackRock’s new fund. The global asset manager is also raising $500 million for a climate fund, which will focus on investing in renewable power generation and transportation networks in developing countries. Source : pulsenews

SOUTH KOREAN 20-MILE SOLAR ‘BIKE HIGHWAY’ GENERATES ELECTRICITY

‘bike highway’ running between

Daejon and Sejong in South Korea is a sight —or rather, a concept —, you surely haven’t thought of before: It stretches for 20 miles (32 km), and it not only shields cyclists from the sun but also generates power at the same time. It’s true that a bicycle lane in the center of a highway is an unusual location for one, especially with three lanes of traffic on either side of it, yet it works. Much like the $3.7 million SolaRoad in the Netherlands, a 230-foot road replaced by solar panels, which powers the highway’s lighting system, this bike highway is a win for green energy. Its lanes produce more than enough electricity to power the lighting of the highway and the electric vehicle charging stations, according to Fast Company. However, in the Netherlands, bicyclists ride on top of the panels instead of under them, while South Korea’s case is the opposite. Under the overhead solar panels, cyclists use subterranean tunnels to enter and exit the path, which boosts safety tremendously since they can get on and off the bikeway without being involved in the regular traffic. Once on the route, they’re shielded from the traffic on each side by barriers, and while that doesn’t provide pleasant roadside views, it does offer sun protection.

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

It does its job of connecting Daejon and Sejong like any other highway but in a much more efficient and safer manner. It does have its drawbacks though with some being the noise of the highway, potential health issues related to breathing in vehicular fumes and emissions of the fast-moving cars and trucks, and the possibility of a driver hitting the barriers at some point. Therefore, public opinion on the lanes is divided: While some think that it’s a fantastic idea that represents the first move toward making similar commuting-style bike lanes in the future, some think the side of the road would be a better placement. Still, this highlights the potential our cement roads hold. For example, in a bid to reach 1,300GW of solar energy capacity by 2050 in the face of pollution, China also built a 1-km solar highway in the Shandong province’s capital Jinan, south of Beijing, that’s capable of sending 1GWh every year to the grid. This means it can generate enough to power 800 homes, helping China in its efforts to reduce carbon emissions and create cleaner energy . Source: interestingengineering

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asia pacific

HANWHA SOLUTIONS BETTING ON SOLAR BUSINESS

“

Hanwha Solutions’ solar business is on track to become a major cash cow for the company within the next few years. The company aims to create 21 trillion won in revenue by 2025 with an operating profit of 2.3 trillion won, which we stated before for our medium-term goal,” Hanwha Solutions told investors upon announcing its first-quarter earnings results. “Among the total sales, Q Cells division will take up 60 percent and Chemical is expected to account for 30 percent of the pie.” The company expects its solar business to report an operating profit of some 190 billion won this year, which is around how much it achieved last year. “The wafer price will be high through the second quarter but our power generation business is expected to make up for it through better performance,” the company added. Hanwha Solutions’ operating profit for the first three months of this year was 254.6 billion won, a rise of 52.31 percent, yearon-year. Sales rose 6.94 percent to 2.4 trillion won, while net income reached 385.2 billion won, surging 501 percent during the same period, it said in a regulatory filing to the Korea Exchange. During the call, it mentioned plans to sell two or three power-generation projects to unspecified customers in the second quarter of this year, at the earliest possible date. “If the sale process is completed as scheduled, then that would help us increase profits,” it said. The outcome was mainly attributable to strong profitability in the chemical business and the liquidation of some Galleria department store buildings. The chemical division’s revenue was the largest contributor to the strong quarterly earnings, with sales surging 50 percent to 1.2 trillion won and operating profit tripling to 255 billion won. “The chemical division is expected to extend its profit streak in the second quarter,” Hanwha Solutions said. “Despite an increase in logistics and raw materials costs, the Q Cells division might see improvements in profitability when its photovoltaic module sales increase and solar power plants are sold as scheduled.” The strong figures were backed by lower raw material costs and higher chemical product demand for construction components, hygiene products and packing materials. Hanwha Q Cells’ revenue dropped 18 percent to 745 billion won with an operating loss

of 15 billion won due to cost increases for raw materials and logistics. “Since the second half of last year, the supply and demand of polysilicon was tight, increasing wafer prices that impacted our profitability,” the company said. “Also due to COVID-19, logistics costs surged along with the Suez Canal accident that was an additional cost burden,” it told investors. However, the company says the high material costs are predicted to peak in May and stabilize throughout the second half of this year. Source: koreatimes

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SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

renewable energy

INDIA, AUSTRALIA INVESTING HEAVILY TO ACHIEVE ENERGY TARGETS The diplomat said that the government of Australia is committed to technology driven energy transition just like India and regular dialogues are held between the two countries for energy storage systems, energy efficiencies and renewable energy.

ndia and Australia are investing heavily to achieve energy targets, Consul General of Australia Rowan Ainsworth said at an energy conclave. Australia and India have similar goals in reducing emissions with wide adoption of technologies, she said during the virtual conclave organised by Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Australia’s focus is on partnering with other countries to de-carbonize and ensure our economies can work. Few key strengths of Australia’s approach are discussed like reducing emissions, using renewable, and finally cooperating with India, Rowan Ainsworth said.

Australia is proud to be a founding member of International Solar Alliance. India’s leadership in this important issue is appreciated for sustainable development and energy security, she said adding India and Australia have also collaborated on global minerals. Turning to water security, she said it has become important due to the rising population. “Australia and India will also launch the Australia and India water dialogue and bring water experts to the table,” she added.

Suresh Kumar, the additional chief secretary to the department of power, West Bengal, said the issue is decarbonization which is a global issue. “Energy transition which was previously based on fossil fuels is going through a change and now we’re getting into more and more renewables all over the world. West Bengal fortunately has always been very beneficial in terms of number of coal mines. We also had a number of power stations and we did not have to transport coal for more than 20 to 30 km,” he added.

The state had the advantage of having the best natural resources close to the power station. Even it is going through a transition now. “We understand that it’s not feasible to run more and more thermal power stations". The gestation time of a thermal power station is around three to five years, he added. Acting British Deputy High Commissioner, Kolkata, Sophie Ross, US Consul General Melinda Pavek were among those who attended the first session. Source: PTI

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

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renewable energy

IKEA STARTS SELLING RENEWABLE ENERGY TO HOUSEHOLDS IN SWEDEN Ingka Group, the owner of most IKEA stores worldwide, said households would be able to buy affordable renewable electricity from solar and wind parks, and track their usage through an app.

KEA, the world’s biggest furniture brand, is branching out into selling renewable energy to households, starting with home market Sweden in September. Ingka’s partner Svea Solar, which produces solar panels for IKEA, will buy the electricity on the Nordic power exchange Nord Pool and resell it without surcharge. Households will pay a fixed monthly fee plus a variable rate. IKEA, which also sells solar panels for households in 11 markets, said those buyers would be able to track their own production in the app and sell back surplus electricity. Jonas Carlehed, head of sustainability at IKEA Sweden, told Reuters he hoped to roll out the new renewable energy offer as well as IKEA’s solar panel offering to all markets.

“We want to make electricity from sustainable sources more accessible and affordable for all,” the company said in a statement. “IKEA wants to build the biggest renewable energy movement together with co-workers, customers and partners around the world, to help tackle climate change together.”

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Ingka said the plan was to offer electricity from solar and wind parks five years old or less, as a way to encourage the building of more parks. More broadly IKEA aims to be “climate positive” – reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than is eitted by the entire IKEA value chain, from raw material production to customers’ disposal of their furniture – by 2030. Carlehed said in an interview he saw the renewable energy offer to customers as contributing to reaching that target as well as being a potential new revenue stream. “It will contribute indirectly (to the target). The link is that our customers’ use of our products account for around 20% of IKEA’s total climate footprint – from appliances, lighting and electronics such as speakers and so on.” Source: Reuters

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

opinion

India Solar Mission - Is it Real Vision or Illusion?

This article is based on the facts and figures since birth of solar industry in the country in 1980’s and its crippled growth in the last 40 years. As a technocrat involved myself in silicon wafer manufacturing industry in mid 80’s and since then continuing my involvement in solar industry in establishing turnkey module and cell line and module materials, I am turning back the pages to find the cause for this crippled growth and where one went wrong.

INDIA TODAY MAY 31, 1984 NATIONAL SILICON FACILITY CONTROVERSIAL CONTRACT

he then Director of CSIR C.S.Sidhu,pointed out to the Finance Ministry in late April that at the costs involved, the Hemlock deal made no sense. A cheaper options did become available in the form of technology offered by the German Democratic Republic a 100 tonne plant for no more than Rs.25 Crore. The demand by CEL and BHEL and upcoming Semiconductor complex will not generate demand for poly beyond 100 tonnes”.

TIMES OF INDIA AUG 19, 1984 US KNOW HOW FOR NATIONAL SILICON FACILITY “The Rs.90 Crore National Silicon plant proposed to be set up in Baroda, is expected to start production by early 1988. The Department of Electronics has concluded a technical collaboration agreement with Hemlock Semiconductor Corporation, USA for the 200 Tonne per year capacity plant. The detailed engineering work and procurement and installation of equipment will be done by the public sector Engineers India Ltd. This was supported by the Director of National Chemical Laboratory, Pune”

THE ECONOMIC TIMES MARCH 9, 1985 -PROPOSAL TO SET UP SILICON FACILITY AT BARODA DROPPED. “The collaboration was challenged by leading Indian scientists* who were against the transfer of technology on the ground that it would become obsolete by the time the complex was ready. Moreover Mettur Chemicals was capable of providing the same technology since it has the capacity to manufacture 2.5 tonnes which can go up to 20 tonnes. Postponement of setting up of the silicon facility has been taken despite a favourable report by the DG of CSIR, Dr. Varadarajan to go with Hemlock deal as the technology developed by Mettur Chemical is preliminary.” The Indian Solar scenario during above period was – Metkem, Salem ( poly and wafer manufacturer), Siltronics, Hosur (CZ/FZ w afer mfrr), government sectors viz.,CEL,BHEL,BEL,REIL ( cell and Module). In 1990 India produced 1.9 MW module beating China with 0.5 MW production whereas world production was 46 MW. In 2020 we just reached 40 GW and China 253 GW ( world 760 GW). Had India opened the door for Hemlock when they were knocking, we would have made much faster progress in solar value chain. This is first mistake. 42

SEPTEMBER- 2021 (PART A)

My question is – Should it take more than 35 years to realise the need of poly and wafer production in our country? Is it not surprising to note even today that poly and mono technology/ process has not changed much except ingot/wafer size increased to 12″ dia whereas there is progressive change in cell technology from 11 to 12 % efficiency in 1990’s to 23 to 24% currently.Now let us find where one went wrong again.DNES ( Dept of Non conventional Energy Sources) was established in 1980 which became MNES in 1986 and MNRE in 2006, the first independent ministry in the world to focus on development of Renewable Energy. Again IREDA was founded in 1987 as second arm to work with MNES. During my tenure at Siltronics, I proposed to the then secretary of MNES to have a consortium of Metkem, Siltronics and another company who had licence to manufacture wafer to support the industry but it was given thumbs down. IREDA would have initiated then to invite technology provider for poly to nurture the 2 young industry who did sow the seed for wafer production to grow as a big tree but both wafer plants dried down.When module manufacturing capacity was showing upward trend around 2010 and national solar mission was announced, MNRE, the policy making body would have given priority towards establishing base for poly and wafer supply chain in 2010 itself. But in the last 10 years, Chinese suppliers reaped the harvest when sun was shining in our country – by supplying wafers, cells and modules and other module materials. In spite of custom duty, anti dumping duty and trade restrictions the import continued and will continue till locally produced wafer and cell meet the demand of cell/ module manufacturers. Here is the second mistake.Silicon is metallurgical material like Gold, silver,Tin, lead,Aluminium and all these materials are used in the process of silicon wafers for semiconductor chips and solar cells. Solar being National mission, why MNRE and NTPC did not involve the government entities viz., MMTC,NMDC,EIL,ONGC,MECON to invest in production of poly to the solar sector. When import/trading of oil, gold, Tin, Lead and other minerals is controlled by Government entity, why MMTC did not include polysilicon or wafer in their trade control. The solar industry will collapse if there is no local supply of polysilicon and wafer. Why it took 10 years to announce PLI scheme by IREDA? Here goes third mistake. We took 10 years to reach 40 GW installation and new target set for next 10 years is 240 GW which is 24 GW/annum by 2030. With the prevailing situation and disruption in the supply chain and anticipated new custom duty on cells and modules from April 2022, there will be many road blocks to achieve this target. Considering existing module manufacturers numbering above 100 with 12 to 15 GW capacity, 10 GW is already controlled by just 5 to 6 manufacturers. The upcoming 10 GW under PLI scheme in next 5 years will again benefit the same and new investors to produce poly /wafer/cell for their own module production. In this list are Reliance, Adani, Waree, Goldi Solar and USA based 1366 (Cubic PV) and others who made recent announcement. Hence PLI scheme is red

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opinion

carpet rolled out for big players/investors. Again the wafer and cells will be imported upto 10 GW or more and so we are back to square one. Here is the Illusion part considering the future of existing module manufacturers whose capacity is between 100 and 500 MW.They may not be able to compete with GW production players and survive for long. Here one can recall the closure of Moser Baer,Indosolar,Titan solar, XL Telecom, ARM, Conergy and few more. Similar situation will be witnessed soon if this industry is in the hand of big players. With the above background it will be prudent to act in a way that policy makers protect the early players who contributed their part so far to the solar mission to survive along with new investors. In this context my independent views are: 1. Solar mission being national mission, production should not be monopolized in one particular state by few investors. Example – Gujarat and Chennai belt. The ideal model can be Reliance and Mittal Group who announced to invest in solar should set up polysilicon and ingot/ wafer manufacturing plant of 15 GW capacity under PLI scheme. The cell, module, module material and BOS components production should be on decentralized model basis by private sectors and each state should be put a cap on production capacity upto 5 GW. This will make states to participate and contribute to the solar mission by being self reliant to undertake production, create job opportunity and manage utility and rooftop installation within the state. This will be ideal from the point of logistic in supply chain and less dependency on outsourcing modules.

5. R&D is lacking in solar and this should be nurtured by MNRE by upgrading NSIEsetting up exclusive lab on the lines of NREL, SERI, Fraunhofer with partnership with them. Such lab will help in assessing and qualifying wafer, cell, module and materials produced locally and provide feedback to industry. 6. Many of central and state govt owned factories are sick and not in operation but has infrastructure with power and water which are ideal to put up wafer and cell factory with additional utilities. These can be leased out to investors for atleast 10 years. This will save project time and project cost upto 30%. Example, ITI, HMT located in Bangalore and other states.

2. By the time country produce sufficient volume of polysilicon and wafer to meet the local demand which may take minimum 2 years, MMTC can act as nodal agency to assess the demand for polysilicon/ ingot/wafers and handle its import and distribution for next 3 years by entering into annual contract with renowned manufacturers. This will ensure quality,timely delivery and controlled price of cells/modules in the country to balance the demand and supply.

7. BHEL,REIL,CEL and BEL were the first entrants in solar and it is disappointing to note that they could not make headway either in capacity or technology even after 35 years. The tendering procedure and manpower spent by these companies will cost them more to the exchequer than savings they realise by ordering on L1 vendor. MNRE would have appointed an independent agency to procure the wafer, cell and module materials on contract basis from vendor and distributed to these government units and monitored their growth. This would have resulted in standardization and uniform quality, prompt delivery of BOMs and continuous production. Even now it is not too late for MNRE to act in this manner and IREDA should give priority and special consideration to the above under PLI scheme to expand their cell and module production line upto 1 GW each as they already have basic infrastructure.

3. As module life is currently 25 to 30 years, the material quality is very important. Recent observation on degradation of module at the rate of 1% per year as against 0.5% per year is attributed to back sheet quality. Cheap BOMs used by module manufacturers will result in reducing life of module and low output in the long run. When MNRE has made BIS certification for modules mandatory , it is high time that material specification is also standardized right from wafer to junction box to final size of module. Few examples are – size of wafer/cell, thickness of glass and Al frame, Tin/lead/Silver composition in ribbon and its width, weight/sqm and thickness of EVA, number of Tedlar/PVF layer in backsheet and its total thickness etc., This will also ensure quality and standard BOMs are manufactured in the country .

8. TERI report titled “Solar PF manufacturing in India” dt 7 Aug 2019 is comprehensive with recommendations to implement solar value chain in phased manner from “ingot growing to module manufacturing and not to venture into production of MG Silicon which is further purified to polysilicon”. Is TERI pessimistic about about manufacturing polysilicon in the country? Again we will be pushed back to the wall as in mid 80’s if we do not venture into production of polysilicon in the country and it will be a wise move to start the first polysilicon plant by Reliance or Mittal Group who have better infrastructure for this industry.

4. Due to continuous change in cell and module sizes, there is need for new test labs to accord IEC/BIS certification. MNRE can revive by funding ERTL/ETDC labs under STQC Directorate to upgrade their facility to certify modules at nominal charges. In the initial years, these centers were testing modules but due to entry of UL, TUV and private test houses, their services are not given importance. As these labs are established on PAN India basis and have infrastructure,trained manpower and currently being under- utilized they can generate considerable revenue and reduce the waiting time and load from existing private labs whose certification charges are high. MNRE can recover the cost of investment by sharing the revenue over a period of time.

9. It is rightly said ” better late than never” and IREDA PLI scheme should help the Indian solar industry to manufacture new wafer size and high efficiency cells to compete with International players. The successful bidders under PLI scheme when start their production should sell minimum 50% of their produce to local module manufacturers at price better than landed price of imported materials so as to discourage imports. There should be a clause by IREDA to this effect. This will lead to harmonious growth of solar industry where big brothers hold the hand of small brothers to walk together.

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