Business Line ( 12 March ) carries following news :
Highlight :
“In India, we have
started the world’s largest renewable energy expansion programme. We will
generate 175 GW of electricity from renewable sources of energy by 2022, of
which, 100 GW will be from solar power. We
have already achieved 20 GW installed
solar power,” Modi said, inaugurating the Summit that was co-hosted by French
President Emmanuel Macron.
President Macron, who is
on a four-day visit to India, highlighted that to generate 1 TW (terawatt) of solar power by 2030, as envisaged under the ISA, a funding corpus of $1 trillion
will be required even as he underlined financial and regulatory hurdles
within the member countries for achieving the target.
“But in order to reach the $1,000 billion by 2030,
to reach the 1TW of solar energy, we need private investors. It means that we will improve the
regulations, the terms in order to support investments in renewable. It is also
about improving public procurement and to provide efficient policies,” he said.
He also urged countries to facilitate purchase and supply of electricity
generated from solar energy.
In 58 months ( March
2018 – Dec 2022 ) , India needs to install 80 GW of
solar to reach its target
That means 1.4 GW per month for next 58 months
That 1.4 GW would require funds of $ 1.4 Billion ( approx.
Rs 10,000 crore )
Every month , month after month , for next 58 months
That is why Mr Macron talks about “ need for private investors
“
This is unlikely to come about unless following issues
are resolved – and FAST :
·
Forget about that proposed “ Safeguard Duty “ of 70 %
( recommended by a govt agency ) , on imported Solar Panels , in order to
protect Indian Manufacturers ( really , “ assemblers “ ? )
If anything , reduce that
( custom ) duty even further – may be ZERO %
!
Our “ immediate goal “
must be to get solar power at Re 1 / Kwh , for
all !
Our “ medium term “ goal
must be to make India such a “ Low Cost Economy “ that we can double our exports by Dec
2022 !
·
Land based large Solar Power plants need Transmission
Lines to evacuate power and feed into grids. That requires funds and long time
for erection / commissioning .Hence govt must vastly liberalize its policy for
Roof Top solar plants which do not need any transmission network / no metering
/ no PPA !
For roof top installations
, currently govt gives 30 % subsidy
Change this as follows :
# 30 % by way of subsidy
# 70 % by way of
interest free loan , repayable over 10 years
·
Come out with clear and legally binding “
Power Purchase Agreements “ from which , DISCOMS cannot back out
·
Implement BLACK MONEY AMNESTY SCHEME for
SOLAR INFRASTRUCTURE SPVs , as suggested in my following blogs ( earlier sent
as emails to Cabinet Ministers ) :
FROMGREED TO GREAT ? [ 01 Oct
2015 ]
14
March 2018
www.hemenparekh.in / blogs