India has crossed the 10GW solar PV installation milestone having tripled its capacity in less than three years, according to a late night Tweet on Friday from energy and mines minister Piyush Goyal.
India’s solar manufacturers have said that roughly 2.25GW of module manufacturing capacity that was previously reported as functional is either obsolete or too old to be counted as operational, according to consultancy firm Mercom Capital Group.
Last week saw solar prices in India blast the Asian giant’s energy sector into a new era, but what happened to all the fears about project viability and unrealistic bidding? PV Tech caught up with financiers and analysts to discuss a new financial environment.
Jasmeet Khurana, associate director, consulting, Bridge to India, shares his views on what the record breaking tariffs for 750MW solar in Madhya Pradesh mean for India's entire power sector.
After 33 hours of bidding, Mahindra Renewables, Acme Solar and Solenergi Power have emerged triumphant in the 750MW solar auction in Madhya Pradesh, with the lowest price smashing records at just INR2.97/kWh (US$0.044) in year one before an annual escalation kicks in.
Indian solar tariffs have reached a paradigm shifting new low after the final reverse auction round for 750MW capacity in Madhya Pradesh followed through into a nail biting second day.
The first round of bidding for the 750MW Rewa solar park in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh has guaranteed that the highest tariff will be no more than 3.64 rupees per unit (US$0.054).
On its way to a targeted 175GW of renewable energy installations by 2022, India has now surpassed 50GW of deployment, according to data from the Ministry of New and Renewable energy (MNRE).
Plenty of naysayers have warned about unrealistic bidding and various delays damaging the Indian solar sector, but the head of ACME Solar, one of the largest developers India, approaching 1GW of installed capacity, has a very positive outlook on the industry's future. PV Tech caught up Manoj Kumar Upadhyay, the founder, chairman and managing director of ACME Group at the company offices in Gurgaon, New Delhi, to discuss delayed PPAs, transmission infrastructure, the approaching Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill and a unique point of view on India's Ultra Mega solar power parks.
