While solar cell cos support govt backing for industry, project developers favour import of cheaper cells

The recent case by the US government in WTO against the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) has created rift in the Indian solar industry.
While the solar cell manufacturers stand by the government’s decision to back the industry, the power project developers are in chorus with the exporters and foreign cells makers citing decreasing cost of solar power as the reason to import cheap cells.

With renewable energy projects worth . 30,000 cr being implemented, MP has become Gujarat’s rival in this sector

Renewable energy projects worth . 30,000 crore are being implemented in Madhya Pradesh, which have quietly reached out to companies and attracted GE, Reliance Power, Spanish wind major Gamesa and others, giving tough competition to Gujarat in the sector. The buzz of activity has catapulted the state to the top slot of renewable energy in the country where Narendra Modi’s Gujarat was hailed as the most successful state in the sector.

The government will launch its first wind energy mission this year to give a boost to the renewable source and putting it in the same league as the high-profile solar mission.

India will build the world’s largest solar plant to generate 4,000 mw from sunlight near the Sambhar lake in Rajasthan that will sell electricity at an estimated rate of . 5.50 per unit.

The central government has teamed up with wind energy producers in their regulatory battle against states that are not meeting their obligation to fulfil a part of their energy needs from renewable

Local producers have alleged dumping of cheap solar equipment from US, China, Malaysia and Taiwan

India might impose anti-dumping duty on four major importers of solar cells and modules in the country after listening to the grievances of domestic manufacturers.

To give a boost to its efforts to bring down the cost of solar power in India, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is planning to roll out large megawatt size solar power projects, in the order of 500 MW and above.

“We want to bring in volume in the Indian solar sector. Several states have already rolled out mega-sized solar power projects, its needs to be done at central level too,” said Tarun Kapoor, joint secretary, MNRE.

Ten solar power producers, including Jackson Ltd, Vikram Solar, Symphony Vyapar Pvt Ltd and Lexicon Vanijya Pvt Ltd have written to the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) saying imposition of anti-dumping duty on solar imports will severely affect the fledgling Indian solar industry.

Producers and equipment manufacturers have been at loggerheads since the latter filed an anti-dumping case against China, the US, Taiwan and Malaysia last year for imported solar panels. Producers have called a halt to such measures till phase two of the national solar mission begins and new projects are commissioned.

The government is set to invite tenders for developing grid-connected solar photovoltaic power projects with a capacity of 750 mw by May, signalling the launch of the second phase of the national solar mission.

The mission will seek to increase the share of grid connected solar power to 3,000 mw and cumulative deployment of solar power in the whole country to 10,000 mw by 2017.

Finding itself on weak wicket, New Delhi will try to settle a complaint Washington filed in WTO challenging India’s policy on procuring equipments for its National Solar Mission.