12 organizations launch India Agrivoltaics Alliance; Waaree bags 200 MW module order from ENGIE India; Mercom's analysis of India's solar tenders and auctions progress; IOCL to build 800 MW solar plant in Goa.
India gets serious about agrivoltaics: Supported by the India Climate Collaborative and Bloomberg Philanthropies, 12 organizations have launched the India Agrivoltaics Alliance (IAA). The alliance was launched during the 1st India Agrivoltaics Summit on October 30, 2023. During the launch, the partners of the alliance said co-locating solar panels with agricultural farms is vital to prepare farmers to survive extreme weather, ensure climate-resilient agriculture, and also double their income, while generating clean energy. The alliance brings together all stakeholders from solar and agricultural sectors with industry associations, research institutes, financial institutions, civil society organizations, among others. India farms 60% of its available land.
"The alliance will work towards developing effective business models and financial instruments for agrivoltaics, study the socio-economic impact of agrivoltaics on India's agricultural scenario, and strive for the inclusion of women and youth communities of India in the emerging field of agrivoltaics," stated the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), one of the members of the alliance. It will also host the IAA Secretariat. Other members of the initiative are:
200 MW order for Waaree: Indian module manufacturer Waaree Energies has announced a 200 MW supply order from ENGIE India. The latter plans to use the same for a solar project in Surendranagar district of Gujarat. According to a company statement referred to by local media, Waaree will supply its AHNAY 545 W bifacial modules for the Sayla village project. ENGIE's project is contracted to supply power to Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) for 25 years.
Auctions and tenders in India: According to Mercom India Research, solar power project tender activity in Q3/CY2023 increased by 5% YoY to over 13 GW. Analysts believe tender announcements were flat QoQ and that the pace hasn't accelerated despite the government targeting 50 GW wind and solar capacity to be tendered in FY 2023-24 (see MNRE Releases FY 2024 RE Bidding Calendar). Auction activity for solar energy improved 86% YoY with 7 GW auctioned, but an improvement of only 4% QoQ.
800 MW solar PV in Goa: The Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Department of New and Renewable Energy (NRE) in Goa for an 800 MW solar PV project, according to a report in local daily The Times of India. The ground mounted project will be grid-connected and sited on barren or any other alternative land identified by the state government. The state government aims to make its capital Panaji a solar city by August 15, 2024.