India to offer subsidy of ₹30 per kg of green hydrogen production, bidding to begin mid-2023

Centre will give green hydrogen fuel producers incentives worth at least 10% of their costs under a $2 billion scheme set to begin before the end of June, Reuters reported, quoting official sources.  Incentives worth at least ₹30 Indian rupees per kg for production of green hydrogen fuel will be offered, the report said, adding that the cost of manufacturing green hydrogen, which is made using renewable energy rather than power derived from fossil fuels, in India is currently at about ₹300 per kg. Incentives will be offered on the basis of competitive bidding and the amount will be reduced annually. Of the total incentive amount of 174.9 billion rupees, India will award about 130 billion rupees for producing green hydrogen and rest will be for manufacturing electrolysers, which are used to split hydrogen and oxygen molecules using electricity. The bidding for incentives will start June end. The government expects to support 3.6 million tonnes of hydrogen production capacity in the next three years under the scheme.

India to add 50GW RE annually till 2028: Govt

India plans to add 250 GW of renewable energy capacity in the next five years to achieve its target of 500 GW of clean energy by 2030. To meet this target the government will invite bids for 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually for the next five years (till 2027-28) the ministry of New and Renewable Energy said.  The bids will also include wind power capacity of at least 10 GW per annum, it stated.

The ministry has also declared a quarterly plan of the bids for FY 2023-24, which comprises bids for at least 15 GW of renewable energy capacity in each of the first and second quarters of the financial year (April-June 2023 and July-September 2023 respectively), and at least 10 GW in each of the third and fourth quarters of the financial year (Oct-December 2023 and January-March 2024 respectively).

This will enable the DISCOMS, to manage their RE procurement plans effectively and boost demand of equipment for the RE manufacturing industry.

SECI invites bids for 2GW of new solar projects

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited developers to bid for a total of 2GW of solar projects. A developer is required to submit a bid with a minimum capacity of 50MW by 10 May, while it can also bid for up to 2GW, PV Magazine reported. 

Developers are not allowed to add extra capacity to already commissioned projects, irrespective of their capacities, under this scheme, but they can choose project locationat their own discretion  of cost, risk and responsibility. Under the 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA), SECI will sell the procured power to different entities in India. Projects under construction or those which are not yet commissioned will be considered only if they have not been accepted under any other central or state schemes.

Solar-wind hybrid projects and corporate power purchase agreements are among key trends, the magazine reported adding that driven by low battery costs and solar power, hybrid projects are cost-competitive, and with the optimal combination of solar, wind and storage, they can deliver stable round-the-clock (RTC) power at comparable costs to standalone solar and wind tariffs.

India needs estimated $900 billion for coal and RE over the next 30 years: iFOREST

According to International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST) India needs around $900 billion for a just energy transition vis-a-vis coal mines and thermal power plants over the next 30 years, reported the HT. India’s energy independence target is 2047 and net-zero by 2070. 

iFOREST report stated $600 billion of the estimated cost will have to come as investments in new industries and infrastructure and $300 billion for grants/subsidies to support the transition of the coal industry, workers, and communities, the HT reported. The cost was estimated based on the cost of transition in coal/lignite regions in Germany and Poland as well as the main coal-producing region of South Africa. It also factors in a study of four coal districts of India in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. The study assumes all existing mines and coal-based power plants will be phased down by 2050, reported the HT.

US electricity from renewables surpasses coal for first time in 2022, gas remains top source

According to data from the Energy Information Administration, the US generated more electricity from renewables than from coal in 2022, for the first time on record, though natural gas remained the top energy source, increasing from 37 percent in 2021 to 39 percent in 2022, reported the HILL.  Coal power, meanwhile, fell from 23 percent in 2021 to 20 percent in 2022, which the EIA attributed to a combination of retired plants and lower use for the remaining plants.

The outlet said economic factors have led to the surge in RE, with wind energy and solar energy costs falling by 70 percent and 90 percent, respectively, in the last decade. Growth in renewables was “largely driven by increased proliferation of wind and solar energy, which collectively made up 14% of US electricity in 2022, up from 12% in 2021”, the report stated, adding that gas power remained the largest source, at 39% of generation last year. 

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