India's PLI solar manufacturing scheme obtains 55GW of bids

• A new support plan from India's federal government to boost the residential manufacture of PV modules has actually seen 18 bidders send 54.8 GW of applications, according to consultancy JMK Research & Analytics.

The "frustrating reaction" to the production-linked incentive (PLI) program, which aims to support the enhancement of 10GW of integrated solar PV manufacturing plants, has actually seen companies such as ReNew Power, Larsen & Toubro, Tata Power Solar and also Waaree Energies place bids. In overall, 19GW of bids were sent for polysilicon manufacture, 32GW for wafer and also 54.8 GW for cells and modules.

JMK claimed the bidders have actually been assigned marks based on option requirements from the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA), with Reliance New Energy, Adani Infrastructure, Jindal India Solar as well as Shirdi Sai Electricals scoring optimum marks.

Given Reliance's US$ 10.1 billion tidy energy strategy and also a recent announcement from Adani to invest US$ 20 billion in renewables over the next 10 years, JMK stated "it is very likely" these two business will certainly be the main PLI recipients.

PLI recipiencts will certainly be needed to establish a plant with a minimum capability of 1GW, while the maximum capacity that can be awarded to one company is 50% of their bid capability or 2GW, whichever is much less, according to guidelines from India's Ministry of New and also Renewable Energy (MNRE) released in April.

Approved last year, the PLI scheme will certainly see INR45 billion (US$ 603 million) allocated over 5 years to back the domestic development of high-efficiency PV modules as part of federal government efforts to lower the reliance on imported PV devices. As of May 2021, India's residential manufacturing field has annual capabilities of around 2.5 GW for cells and also 9GW-- 10GW for modules.

JMK stated that although the PLI selection will certainly bring about just three of 4 recipients, it expects that the staying candidates will certainly still go ahead with their plans to set up producing plants in India.

Of the 18 bidders, 9 have no prior solar production experience, JMK stated, with First Solar and CubicPV the only 2 worldwide applicants.

First Solar revealed strategies in July to create a 3.3 GWdc module assembly plant in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The US firm's CEO, Mark Widmar, last week satisfied India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review its interest in establishing manufacturing plants via the PLI system.

Other manufacturers that have actually lately increased their presence in India include Vikram Solar, which opened a 1.3 GW module plant in July, while Asahi India Glass and Vikasha Group revealed a joint venture to set up a solar glass production center in Gujarat.