Representative file image. , photo credit: Nagra Gopal
By 2026, Indian industry will be able to manufacture of solar modules 100 gigawatts (GW) worth annually, and help the country become a net exporter of solar power. This will significantly aid India’s target of installing 500 GW power capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030, said Bhupinder Bhalla, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Hindu,
India was supposed to install 175 GW of renewable energy by December 2022 – from solar, wind, biomass and small hydropower sources – but has only installed 122 GW. Of this, solar power was to be 100 GW, however only 62 GW has been installed. A major bottleneck has been the cost of the solar modules (or panels). While India has traditionally relied on China-made components such as poly-silicon wafers needed to make modules, high customs duties on them (to make India-made components more competitive) have reduced supply.
“We will need around 30-40 GW annually for our domestic purposes and the rest can be used for exports. The incentive schemes that exist are designed to encourage manufacturers of wafers. We have never manufactured polysilicon in India and this is the first time we are manufacturing ingots and wafers in India. This is essential for the future health of the solar ecosystem in India,” said Mr. Bhalla. Hindu In exclusive conversation.
Apart from module prices, land acquisition has been a major challenge for solar power manufacturers. Despite the Center commissioning 57 large solar parks of 40 GW each in recent years, only 10 GW has been made operational. “On an average, four acres of land is required to install one MW of solar power. Hence various developers face challenges in getting it and this is one of the reasons for the delay. Some projects have been canceled due to lack of progress, but we are hopeful that 40 GW will be fully operational in the next two years,” Mr Bhalla said.
The future phase of India’s renewable energy development will be led by hybrid projects and renewable energy parks that will host solar and wind projects alongside battery storage systems. “States are demanding consistent, reliable power and this can only be done if solar and wind power is stored [via batteries] and is made available on demand. It is certainly a challenge on a global scale.
The difficulties of the Adani Group of companies, several of which have announced investments in solar and green hydrogen infrastructure, will not significantly impact India’s long-term renewable energy goals. “While the Adani Group and their commitment to renewable energy is certainly important, we have many other companies that can step up. There is tremendous interest in India by sovereign wealth funds and other investors and so I see no impact on our renewable energy do not seem.” energy schemes,” said Mr. Bhalla.
He said the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Uttam Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) scheme, which aims to help farmers access reliable day-time solar power for irrigation, reduce power subsidies and thereby decarbonize agriculture, was behind schedule due to the “high cost of finance” for farmers.
Under the scheme, Rs 34,422 crore is to be spent by the Center for setting up 10,000 MW of solar power plants by farmers or farmer groups, setting up 20 lakh solar-powered agriculture pumps that are not connected to the grid (off-grid) and Conversion of 15 lakh agriculture pumps already connected to the grid into solar powered pumps.
Only 88.46 MW of solar capacity was added till December 31, 2022, 181,058 solar pumps were installed and 1,174 grid-connected pumps were converted. The deadline for the plan has been shifted to 2026. “We are looking at ways to help farmers get bank loans at cheaper rates to encourage adoption,” Mr. Bhalla said.