Blogs
Time to reconsider manufacturing policy
30 April 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
Bid submission date for SECI’s 3 GW manufacturing linked tender has been extended again due to lack of responses. We understand that SECI has received no responses so far and it looks...
Solar park scheme simplified and downscaled
23 April 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
In March this year, MNRE introduced significant changes to the government’s solar park scheme. The amendment envisages SECI acting as the solar park developer and paring down the scope of services to bare bones land and external transmission infrastructure. Internal transmission and all other infrastructure facilities (site levelling and fencing, access to water and electricity, drainage etc)...
Time to act on PV waste management
18 April 2019 | Surbhi Singhvi
Following a recent blueprint on use of antimony in glass used in solar modules by MNRE, India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) is expected to announce a policy on waste management by end-April 2019. This process follows an
Financially weak DISCOMs the darkest cloud on the horizon
16 April 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
In November 2015, the Indian government announced UDAY scheme to restructure DISCOM balance sheets and address persistent concerns about their poor bankability. The scheme, the third such restructuring package for DISCOMs in the last seventeen years, was...
Bold vision but half-baked implementation
10 April 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
Last three months have seen frantic activity in the renewable energy sector. Many new policies – SRISTI and KUSUM, FAME, storage, ALMM – and tenders aggregating 30 GW were rushed in the last quarter but we now have a relatively quiet six week period until the last votes are cast on 19 May 2019…
MNRE issues a new 12,000 MW scheme to promote domestic manufacturing
02 April 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
In early March 2019, MNRE finally launched the much-awaited 12,000 MW PSU scheme to promote domestic manufacturing. The scheme envisages majority government-owned entities to set up projects using domestically procured cells and modules for consumption of power in-house or sale to other government entities excluding...
MNRE pushes for solar in north-east
27 March 2019 | Shobhit Srivastava
MNRE has issued a new viability gap funding (VGF) scheme for setting up 1,000 MW grid-connected solar PV projects in north-eastern states. The government intends to provide VGF support of up to INR 10 million/ MW for these projects. Power is proposed to be sold to DISCOMs at a fixed tariff of INR 3.00/ kWh through SECI. Minimum bid size shall be 5 MW and commissioning timeline is specified at 21...
Hydro power likely to remain a fringe resource
25 March 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
India’s central government recently approved some changes to promote large hydro power (capacity > 25 MW). The changes include designation of large hydro as renewable power, a sub-limit for new hydro power purchase obligation (HPO) within RPO...
Andhra Pradesh pulls back on open access solar
25 March 2019 | Arti Mishra Saran
In January 2019, Government of Andhra Pradesh issued a new solar policy superseding the solar policy issued in 2015. The state aims to add 5,000 MW of solar power capacity in next five years. Solar park capacity addition target for next five years is increased to 4,000 MW from 2,500 MW....
Policy reversals threaten private sale of renewable energy
19 March 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
DISCOMs across India are increasingly railing against private procurement of renewable energy. Following Uttar Pradesh’s recent decision to cancel net metering for C&I consumers, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana have withdrawn most incentives provided to open access solar power. And Maharashtra State Electricity...
2018 ends on a low note
12 March 2019 | Arti Mishra Saran
BRIDGE TO INDIA has released its quarterly market report – India Solar Compass Q4 2018. The report contains detailed analysis of solar capacity addition, tender issuance, leading market players, prices and other market trends for the last quarter as well as our estimates...
Indian RE increasingly dependent on foreign capital
11 March 2019 | BRIDGE TO INDIA
A quick look at the profile of winning bidders in utility scale wind and solar auctions over last three years throws some pointed results. The role of international investors – utilities, developers and financial investors (pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, PE funds) – is becoming more critical. Their combined share has gone up steadily from 32% in 2016 to 65% in YTD 2019. Indian...
