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The Hindu
a day ago
- Business
- The Hindu
Implement revised local sourcing norms for wind turbines immediately: Suzlon Group's Chalasani
As India plans to have 500 GW non-fossil energy capacity by 2030, wind energy is expected to contribute a fifth of that target. Yet, with only 4% of its 1.1 TW (Tera Watt) wind potential tapped, the sector's true challenge lies not in potential, but in execution said J.P. Chalasani, CEO, Suzlon Group, one of India's largest renewable energy companies, in an interview. He said policy reform, cybersecurity, and indigenous R&D were crucial for the success of the wind energy sector in the country. 'Revised List of Models and Manufacturers (RLMM) reforms are a start. Implementation can not wait,' he emphasised. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) recently revised its RLMM guidelines, mandating local sourcing of critical components like blades, gearboxes, generators, and towers. RLMM guidelines must mandate this not just for new models, but for all existing listings as well, he stated. The revised RLMM guidelines were also to strengthen cybersecurity norms. 'It is a strategic shift—but over a year late. The guidelines must now be implemented swiftly and without dilution,' he pointed out. Stating that India's wind manufacturing ecosystem was more than ready, he said, 'We have over 20 GW turbine manufacturing capacity, but only 20% is utilised. Our blade capacity is 28 GW, including 11 GW from independent manufacturers. Generator capacity is 17 GW—yet underutilised.' The new policy, if enforced, could restore local content levels to 75% by 2026 and 85% by 2028, he stated. Emphasizing the danger of cyber threat to the wind turbines and the grid Mr Chalasani said, 'Wind turbines are not just machines—they are grid-connected, data-exchanging systems. A single breach can ripple into a national grid failure,' he warned. 'Cybersecurity is not compliance—its sovereignty,' he mentioned. He urged mandatory certification of all digital and hardware components—especially those of foreign origin—by Indian agencies such as Central Electricity Authority, MeitY, and Standardization Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate. 'Embedded malware and hardware trojans are real risks. We need deep protocol-level checks,' he said. MNRE's latest draft also mandates that all turbine operations, data centres, and control systems reside within India—a move which is 'non-negotiable for national security,' he said. Recalling the contribution of late Tulsi Tanti, the founder and MD of Suzlon Energy, Mr Chalasani said, 'He was not just a founder, he was the spirit of Indian renewables. The turnaround we have achieved is our tribute to his vision,' he said. Mr Tanti suddenly passed away in October 2022 raising a question mark on Suzlon's future. Under Mr. Chalasani's leadership, Suzlon has become debt-free and cash-rich, with ₹2,000 crore on its balance sheet. The company's latest 3.15 MW turbine model—engineered for Indian terrain and climate—has been a success. Today, Suzlon has an order book of 5.5 GW, over half of it from industrial and commercial consumers (C&I), and nearly 26% from public sector giants like NTPC and SJVN. 'India Inc. wants reliable green power. Being Indian-designed, Indian-operated, with 25-year service support—that is our edge,' he said. Unlike solar, which he called a 'commodity technology,' Mr. Chalasani, an energy sector veteran said, wind turbines are engineering-intensive and site-specific. 'You can not just import a design meant for Europe and tweak it for Rajasthan,' he said Locally designed and tested turbines reduce downtime, minimise grid disruptions, and enhance long-term operational efficiency, he pointed out. On the government's policy support, he said for too long, Indian OEMs had competed on an uneven field against foreign players importing partially built turbines. 'These new guidelines give us, finally, a level playing field,' he emphasized.
Mint
a day ago
- Business
- Mint
Govt plans coordinated approach for battery storage policy frameworks
New Delhi: The ministries of power, new and renewable energy (MNRE), and heavy industries (MHI) may come together for implementing policy measures for battery storage, a key energy transition space, in a coordinated and unified manner, said two people aware of the development. Also Read | Charge up your watch list with these five battery storage stocks The three ministries have so far been working individually on battery storage —the power ministry on charging infrastructure and storage framework, MNRE on 10 GW PLI (production linked incentive scheme) for utility scale batteries and MHI on 40GW of electric vehicle (EV) batteries. Talks for a coordinated movement are in the initial stage with consultation still underway, one of the persons cited above said. The move follows slow progress in battery adoption and local manufacturing. To be sure, the absence of coordination between nodal ministries is just one reason for the slow progress. Other reasons include supply chain issues involving China and a lack of domestic technical know-how. Also Read | Ola's battery cell ambition has run into a bump Further, these ministries have come up with separate incentive schemes, such as a PLI for batteries by the ministry of heavy industries and VGF for large-scale batteries by the power ministry. In such a scenario, a single window approach and a single nodal agency is expected to give industry players more clarity and uniformity in terms of policies and regulations. The power ministry is also involved in the regulatory framework for EV charging infrastructure and public sector entities under the ministry. Enterprises under MNRE are involved in the tendering process of battery energy storage projects and battery-integrated renewable energy projects. "The ministries will work together in coordination going ahead. A mechanism is being worked out for a coordinated approach on the policy front. The modalities are being worked upon," said one of the two people mentioned above. Also Read | Centre asks Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam to rebid Gensol's BESS projects The aim is to have a cohesive growth trajectory for battery energy storage solutions. As the energy transition journey moves ahead, batteries would be the backbone of the power grid and the energy system. Debi Prasad Dash, executive director, Netzero Energy Transition Association (Netra), an industry body, said: 'The plan to work together on battery storage by different government departments is a welcome move. The heavy industries ministry is largely concerned on the supply side, in the manufacturing of batteries. The new & renewable energy ministry and power ministry are involved in demand aggregation for the power sector and renewable energy. Therefore, having a better coordination and collaboration would help in having a demand-supply parity." Dash, further said that the union ministries for environment and mines are also involved in battery recycling and critical mineral search for indigenous battery manufacturing, respectively, and that they too should be brought on board. Anand Anupam, chief commercial officer, VFlowTech Pte Ltd, a battery solutions provider, backed the need for a dedicated inter-ministerial framework. 'As India advances its clean energy ambitions, it is imperative to establish a dedicated inter-ministerial framework that aligns regulations, standards, and tax structures across various battery energy storage technologies," Anupam said. 'While countries like China and Australia have made significant progress in incentivizing innovative storage solutions, India must now take a coordinated approach across ministries to stimulate demand for alternative technologies and support local manufacturing. This is crucial to building a resilient and future-ready ecosystem that strengthens national energy security." MHI launched its ₹18,000-crore PLI scheme for advanced chemical cells (PLI-ACC) in 2021 to expedite domestic manufacturing of batteries. Currently, three companies have been approved for the PLI—Rajesh Exports, Reliance Industries Ltd and Ola Electric Mobility Ltd. But their plans to manufacture cells have faced delays, leading MHI to issue penalties to these companies for missing deadlines. MHI earlier this year sent notices to these companies over delays in project implementation. The ministry of power on the other hand came up with a national framework for promoting energy storage systems which talked about both battery storage and pump storage projects. The ₹9,400-crore viability gap funding scheme for utility scale projects is also under the power ministry, which is also responsible for issuing guidelines for charging infrastructure. Now, with the fall in battery prices globally, the government and industry stakeholders are also looking at ramping up battery manufacturing and adoption across the country. Industry body India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) on Monday proposed a policy and regulatory framework to the government for energy storage deployment acceleration in India. Debmalya Sen, president of IESA said: 'As we stand on the brink of a transformative shift in India's energy landscape, it is important that we foster a robust policy and regulatory framework that accelerates the deployment of energy storage solutions. Our recommendations aim to ensure safety and innovation in energy storage technologies, ensuring a sustainable and secure energy future for all Indians. This will not only enhance grid stability but also propel us towards our ambitious renewable energy targets." It also suggested that the planning for energy storage systems should be well-integrated with power transmission, distribution, and generation planning in India. In February, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), which comes under the power ministry, asked state power utilities and renewable energy implementation agencies to incorporate two-hour co-located energy storage systems, equivalent to 10% of the installed solar project capacity, in future solar tenders, thereby making battery storage mandatory for all upcoming solar projects. Queries mailed to the ministry of new and renewable energy, power and ministry of heavy industries remained unanswered till press time.
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Another PLI scheme hits the Chinese wall, as India now mulls extension for projects under solar module incentive scheme
New Delhi: The government is considering extending the deadline for completion of projects under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for solar modules and their parts, said two people in the know of the development, amid delays in technology sourcing and component supply from China. The ₹19,500 crore scheme for fully and partially integrated solar PV module manufacturing has scheduled commissioning dates from October 2024 to April 2026. Data from the ministry of new and renewable energy showed that around 17.5 GW of module manufacturing capacity had been completed by First Solar, Avaada, Grew, Tata Power Solar and Indosol, out of the awarded 48.3 GW awarded to several companies. Also read: India's power demand to grow 5.5% in FY26: Icra Of the 44.9 GW cell manufacturing capacity awarded to several companies, only 6 GW has been completed by Tata Power Solar and ReNew. In terms of ingot and wafer manufacturing, only 2 GW capacity has been completed by Adani Group, out of the overall 37.5 GW awarded capacity. 'A key reason of the delay has been lack in supply of components and technology transfer from China, and also the curb on travel of technicians from there," said an industry executive on the condition of anonymity. The ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) is in talks with the finance ministry for extension of the deadline after the industry reached out to the government with a similar request. 'The extension may be given on a case-by-case basis and wherever the issues pertain to supply chain constraints. The talks are underway between MNRE and finance ministry and a final decision is yet to be taken," said one of the two people mentioned above. Also read: BEML plans to develop light infantry vehicles, future-ready combat vehicles Industry players in the past few months have also reached out to the ministry of external affairs (MEA) to relax visa restrictions for technicians which have also impacted the project implementation. But so far the issue has not been resolved amid national security concerns, added the industry executive mentioned above. 'The MEA has also been given some specific names of required technicians who need to travel, but approvals have not come yet," the executive said. Queries mailed to the MNRE, MEA, Adani Group, Avaada Group, Reliance Industries and Indosol remained unanswered till press time. Another executive with a module manufacturer under the PLI scheme said: 'India currently remains entirely dependent on imports for equipment and critical materials for module manufacturing and is vulnerable to global supply chain disruptions and price fluctuations. Also, travel restrictions linked to engineering and equipment adversely impacted execution planning leading to further delays. Since most of the critical materials are made to order, any delays in placing orders will push the delivery timelines further." The executive added that current global tariff and trade dynamics have affected supply chains and led to uncertainty in placing orders for equipment leading to delays to timelines. However, Amit Paithankar, whole-time director and chief executive officer, Waaree Energies Ltd, said: 'Our PLI-supported project is on track. Various stages of the project—including engineering and procurement—are progressing as planned. While there were some initial delays due to supply chain constraints and the availability of trained manpower (both within India and internationally), these issues have now been addressed and the project is moving forward smoothly." Solar component manufacturing has been a key focus area for the government as India aims to reduce import dependence from China. Although in the past few years India has significantly grown its module and other component manufacturing, the lack of supplies of sub-components and technical assistance from China has in the past couple of years impacted the domestic manufacturing. The government has also imposed tariff and non-tariff barriers on solar modules including high basic customs duty and an Approved List of Models and Manufacturers for supply of modules to government-backed projects. Further, earlier this year, the MNRE said it will introduce a similar list for solar cells starting June 2026. In December 2024, the finance ministry imposed a provisional anti-dumping duty on textured, tempered, coated and uncoated solar glass imports from China in the range of $673-677 per tonne and $565 per tonne for imports from Vietnam. Following this the price of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules increased by 10-12%. Mint in January wrote that the increase in prices has raised concerns among industry participants over project cost escalations and potential delays. Also read: ONGC-led JV resumes production from 'PY-3' offshore field in Cauvery basin Currently, the country has about 80 GW of module manufacturing capacity including those under the PLI scheme, according to MNRE data. India's cell and wafer manufacturing capacity stands at 25GW and 2GW respectively. The Centre aims to have an installed capacity of 100GW for cells and 40GW for wafers by 2030 and also become an export hub. Indian manufacturers are also exporting modules, with the US being the largest procurer. As India aims to become a manufacturing hub for renewable energy components, the Centre is also pursuing direct government-to-government engagements with African and West Asian nations to open new markets for Indian green energy firms and solar equipment manufacturers.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Delhi CM vows 2,000 new e-buses by 2026
Chief minister Rekha Gupta said on Saturday that the government will introduce 2,000 more Delhi Electric Vehicle Interconnector (Devi) buses in the Capital by the end of this year and will also provide subsidies on electric vehicles (EVs). The CM was addressing the public at the Aironomics 2025 summit, which was focused on scaling solutions to combat India's air pollution crisis. 'With regards to private transportation, an EV policy will be brought by the government so people who are driving scooters or cars are encouraged to buy EVs as the government will give subsidies on the same,' she added. At the occasion organised under the Bharat Climate Forum, the CM said that the government will implement schemes to address scrapping of end-of-life vehicles, which are a major contributor to pollution. Further, addressing concerns of pollution caused by construction activities, CM Gupta said all high-rise buildings have been asked to install water sprinklers so the city can fight dust pollution. 'Sweeping can lead to more problems than solutions. To tackle this, first, we must develop more green belts in the city. Moreover, in all the 70 assemblies of Delhi, highly upgraded machines are going to be used which will have integrated smog gun, water sprinkling system as well as sweeping mechanism. I believe as this has been processed and the government continues to work, Delhi will feel better during this year's peak pollution system,' CM Gupta said. Later, the summit also hosted a panel discussion on reaffirming 'Delhi's political will to lead on clean air while acknowledging the governance complexity across multiple jurisdictions.' Speaking on the topic, Bhupinder Bhalla, former secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), said, 'Having worked in Delhi government, one realises the problems that arise due to involvement of multiple agencies. The grey areas that arise out of this intersection have to be dealt with in order to overcome the governance challenges.'
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Diu first district in India to meet entire power demand with solar energy
Diu has become the first district in India to meet its entire power demand with solar energy, achieving 11.88 MW capacity, an official statement said on Thursday. Minister for New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) Pralhad Joshi said Diu is a national example in renewable energy adoption , with its entire daytime electricity demand being met through solar energy. Joshi visited Diu on Thursday to review its remarkable progress in solar energy adoption and assess the implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Here's The Estimated Cost of a 1-day Gutter Guards Installation HomeBuddy Undo The minister chaired a high-level meeting at Diu, with senior officials of the UT administration to review the status of solar energy generation, its current supply framework, and future expansion prospects. The minister remarked that the capital investments made over the past decade in renewable energy infrastructure in Diu have already been recovered through the supply and sale of solar power. Live Events He called for even faster and more effective implementation of the PM-Surya Ghar Yojana to maximise its benefits for the residents of the Union Territory and achieve total household saturation.
