In January 2023, a combined total of 679 MW of solar and wind capacity was added, taking the cumulative RE capacity to 121.55 GW. Gujarat added the maximum solar capacity as well as wind capacity in January 2023.
Solar PV Manufacturing
Emmvee starts building new solar cell and module manufacturing facility
Emmvee Group has started building a new 1.5 GW solar cell line and 1.75 GW module manufacturing facility at Dabaspet, Bengaluru. The latest addition will expand Emmvee’s module capacity to 3 GW. The module and cell facilities are scheduled to commence operation in June 2023 and early 2024, respectively
Websol to commence the first phase of the 1.8 GW mono PERC cell line in April 2023
Websol Energy Systems has announced that it will commence the first phase of its planned 1.8 GW mono PERC cell line in April 2023. The first phase will comprise the installation of a 600 MW cell line and 550 MW module line, and the second phase comprises the addition of a 1.2 GW cell line.
Tata Power to operationalize solar cell and module facility by Dec 2023
Tata Power aims to operationalize its solar cell and module facility being set up in Tamil Nadu by December 2023. In July 2022, Tata Power inked a pact with the Tamil Nadu government to invest INR 3,000 crore for setting up a new facility to manufacture solar cells and modules in the Tirunelveli district of the state.
As per the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government, Tata Power company has to set up a greenfield 4 GW solar cell and 4 GW solar module manufacturing plant in the southern state. The module plant is to be ready by August-September and roll out the modules from September onwards.
Axitec plans to increase its solar panel capacity to 2 GW by 2023 and 4 GW by 2026
Axitec is planning to increase its annual production capacity from around 1.2 GW to 2 GW by 2023. The company aims to meet growing solar module demand in Europe, particularly in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It will expand capacity at its production facilities in China, India and Vietnam. The company further plans to increase its production capacity by 4 GW by 2026.
Green Hydrogen
BPCL plans to set up green hydrogen unit in Madhya Pradesh Bharat
Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) is planning to set up a 20 MW green hydrogen unit in Madhya Pradesh. The company announced that a final award for the project will take place by March or early April this year. This plant is the largest in India so far. Till now, the company has received interest from six to eight firms.
IOC to set up green hydrogen plants at all refineries
India will invite bids for subsidies for setting up two green-hydrogen manufacturing and utilisation hubs, two fertiliser and steel plants based on the fuel, and factories for making electrolysers by May 2023. The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims at substituting all ammonia-based fertilizers imports with domestic fertilisers using green ammonia by 2034-35.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to develop major ports as hydrogen hubs
Under the Green Shipping initiative as part of the Maritime India vision 2030, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways will develop 3 major Indian ports as hydrogen hubs. The government said that the Paradip Port in Odisha, Deendayal Port in Gujarat and V.O. Chidambaranar Port in Tamil Nadu will be developed for handling storage and green hydrogen generation.
Indian PSU refiners to set up 137,000 tpa green hydrogen facility by 2030
The Indian public sector oil refineries have together planned to set up 137 kilotonnes per annum (KTPA) of green hydrogen facilities by 2030. Indian Oil would first put up a 7 KTPA electrolysis plant at its Panipat refinery. IOC had entered into an agreement with the renewable energy company, ReNew Power and the engineering major, L&T, for putting up green hydrogen plants.
EIB commits 1 billion-euro funding for large-scale green hydrogen projects in India
The European Investment Bank (EIB) agreed to join the India Hydrogen Alliance (IH2A) and increase support for large-scale green hydrogen hubs and projects across India with indicative funding of one billion euros. This facility would support India’s efforts to commercialize upcoming green hydrogen technologies and accelerate cost reduction by investing continuously in innovation, R&D, green hydrogen hubs, and pilot projects.
Kerala announces INR 200 crore for setting up green hydrogen hubs over next 2 years
The Kerala government announced a scheme of INR 200 crore for viability gap funding, equity support to set up green hydrogen hubs in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram over the next two years. An additional amount of INR 20 crore is also earmarked for this.
Storage
Greenko to invest $6 billion into pumped storage and green ammonia business in next 3 years
The Greenko group is planning to build the world’s largest pumped hydro storage facility of 1,680 MW near Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh with an investment of $6 billion. The Kurnool plant is expected to be commissioned by December this year. The state is also planning to build three more such facilities, in the next three years. Two of these will be roughly of the same size and the third one-and-half times as big. Together, these will have a storage capacity of 50 GWh.