Italy signs framework agreement on International Solar Alliance with India - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Italy signs framework agreement on International Solar Alliance with India.

Italy on Wednesday signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) with India, informed Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava.

"The Italian Republic signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) today after the amendments to the framework agreement of the ISA entered into force on 8 January 2021, opening its membership to all member states of the UN," Srivastava tweeted.

The signed copies of the agreement were received by Additional Secretary (ER), as the representative of MEA which is the depositary of the ISA framework agreement.

"The framework agreement was signed by the Ambassador of the Italian Republic, Vincenzo De Luca. The signed copies of the agreement were received by Additional Secretary (ER), as the representative of MEA which is the depositary of ISA Framework Agreement," Srivastava wrote in a tweet.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla met Italian Ambassador Vincenzo De Luca and welcomed the country's accession to the International Solar Alliance.

ISA is an alliance of over 120 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Shringla also discussed Italy's G20 Presidency and 'Vaccine Maitri' initiative under which India is using its vaccine production and delivery capacity to export doses to fight the crisis created by COVID-19.

Italy at present holds the presidency of G20. (yahoonews.in)

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Italy signs framework agreement on International Solar Alliance with India.

Solar, wind farms soon along India-Pak border - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Solar, wind farms soon along India-Pak border.

• India has set a target of achieving 175GW of clean energy capacity by 2022 under its climate commitments.
• A 30km long and 20km wide parcel of land has been identified along the border in Kutch district of Gujarat

To address the issue of land availability for clean energy projects, India will set up solar and wind projects on fallow land along its international border with Pakistan, according to a top government official.
The idea was first mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help tackle the problem of agricultural land being diverted for such projects. Accordingly, a 30km long and 20km wide parcel of land has been identified along the border in Kutch district of Gujarat and stretches along the border in Bikaner, Barmer and Jaisalmer districts of Rajasthan.
India is running the world’s most ambitious renewable energy programme, with a target of achieving 175 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2022 as part of its climate commitments. Currently, India generates 82,580 megawatts (MW) of clean energy, or 23% of its total power production.
“Hon’ble Prime Minister has desired that renewable projects be installed along 20km of international border. He also desired that renewable energy be used to generate drinking water in desert areas close to the border.
Accordingly, the Ministry has requested both Rajasthan and Gujarat to identify suitable land near international border (20-25km strip) where solar and wind projects can be installed," according to a government document reviewed by Mint.
As part of its commitments to combat climate change, the government has proposed that state-run companies build massive clean energy parks at a cost of around $2 billion each, with built-in incentives to ensure states and operators are invested in the success of the parks.
The proposed renewable energy power parks of 2,000MW each will help developers achieve economies of scale and further bring down solar and wind power tariffs.
“We should consciously utilize wastelands. Why should good agricultural land be used for setting up such projects?" said another government official, who did not want to be named.
“We have seen that in some areas, agricultural land gets diverted for setting up clean energy projects, which in turn raises the question of food security."
Setting up such strips will further bolster India’s image of a clean energy champion at a time the world is grappling with concerns related to climate change.
“These are desert areas with no habitats. These are large stretches that can be utilized post defence clearances because security is paramount," said the second government official cited earlier.
India’s clean energy sector is going through a crisis. With record low solar and wind power tariffs, banks are wary of lending to developers as they suspect the viability of projects that have agreed to sell power at rock-bottom tariffs.
There are other problems such as delays in payment by state-run power distribution companies that range from two months to 15 months and non-allocation of land-to-wind power projects, as well as transmission- and connectivity-related challenges. (Source: Livemint)


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Solar, wind farms soon along India-Pak border.

Power Minister launches SARAL - 'State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index' - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Power Minister launches SARAL - 'State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index'.

State of Karnataka gets first rank in the Index, Telangana second.

The Union Minister of State for Power and New & Renewable Energy (IC) and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, RK Singh launched the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index-SARAL on 21 August 2019. The State of Karnataka has been placed at the first rank in the Index that evaluates Indian states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development. Telangana, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh have got 2nd, 3rd and 4th rank respectively.

Launching the Index, RK Singh said that it would incentivise rooftop solar by creating healthy competition among the States. He encouraged all States to adopt the best practices being followed by top ranking States.
SARAL has been designed collaboratively by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation (SSEF), Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and Ernst & Young (EY). It was launched during the Review Planning and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State Power Utilities. SARAL currently captures five key aspects - i. robustness of policy framework, ii. implementation environment, iii. investment climate, iv. consumer experience and v. business ecosystem.
It encourages each state to assess the initiatives taken so far, and what it can do to improve its solar rooftop ecosystem. This will help states to channelize investments that can eventually help the sector grow. In addition, such an exercise is likely to create a more conducive environment for solar rooftop installations, encourage investment and lead to accelerated growth of the sector.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022, of which 100 GW solar power is to be operational by March 2022, of which 40 GW is expected to come from grid connected solar rooftops. The Indian Grid Connected Rooftop PV (GRPV) segment is slowly gaining momentum with substantial interest from entrepreneurs, developers, financial institutions, development banks, end users and government entities. On a very positive note, rooftop solar PV has already achieved grid parity for commercial and industrial consumers and is fast becoming attractive for residential consumers as well.
To achieve rooftop solar targets, it is important to develop an ecosystem that ensures information symmetry, access to financing and clear market signals. Thus, the MNRE has developed the State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index-SARAL that evaluates Indian states based on their attractiveness for rooftop development. SARAL is the first of its kind index to provide a comprehensive overview of state-level measures adopted to facilitate rooftop solar deployment.
Power Minister RK Singh chaired the Review Planning and Monitoring (RPM) Meeting with States and State Power Utilities. In his address to the State representatives, he emphasised the need to make Power Sector sustainable and viable so as to ensure 24/7 power supply to all consumers. The Meeting discussed various schemes and issues pertaining to the sector such as Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Distribution Scheme (IPDS), UDAY, 24/7 power supply etc.
The Meeting was attended by the Secretary, Power, Subhash Chandra Garg, Secretary, MNRE, Anand Kumar, Special Secretary, Power, Sanjiv Nandan Sahai, Senior officers of the Ministry of Power & MNRE, Principal Secretaries/Secretaries (Energy) of States, CMDs & MDs of Discoms and Power Sector PSUs. (Source: The Business Standard)


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Power Minister launches SARAL - 'State Rooftop Solar Attractiveness Index'.

India levies anti-dumping duty on solar cell component from four nations - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

India levies anti-dumping duty on solar cell component from four nations.

In a notification, the Department of Revenue has said that after considering the recommendations of the commerce ministry's investigation arm DGTR, it is imposing the duty.

India has imposed anti-dumping duty of up to USD 1,559 per tonne on imports of a certain type of sheet used in solar cell making from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and Thailand for five years to safeguard domestic players against cheap shipments.
In a notification, the Department of Revenue has said that after considering the recommendations of the commerce ministry's investigation arm DGTR, it is imposing the duty, which is in the range of USD 537 to USD 1,559 per tonne, on imports of "Ethylene Vinyl Acetate sheet for solar module" being exported by these four nations.

"The anti-dumping duty imposed shall be effective for a period of five years (unless revoked, superseded or amended earlier)," it has said.
Following a complaint by a domestic company, the directorate had initiated the probe in April last year.
In its probe, it had concluded that imposition of the duty is required to offset dumping and injury caused by dumped imports from China, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand.
The product is a polymer based component used in the manufacturing of solar PV (Photo Voltaic) modules.
Imports of the sheets from these countries increased to 6,367 tonne during the period of investigation (October 2016 to September 2017) from 4,674 tonne in 2016-17. The imports stood at USD 1,025 tonnes in 2015-16 and USD 594 tonnes in 2014-15.
Imports of components used in solar industry have increased as India launched an ambitious national solar policy named Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission in January 2010.
Under this, the country has a target of generating 20,000 megawatt (MW) of solar power by 2022.
Several countries are interested in supplying solar equipment to tap into the growing sector in India.
Countries carry out anti-dumping probes to determine whether their domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.
As a counter measure, they impose duties under the multilateral regime of WTO
The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers with regard to foreign producers and exporters. (Source: The Economic Times)


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NASA launches Parker Solar Probe mission to study the sun up close - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

NASA launches Parker Solar Probe mission to study the sun up close.

A NASA mission to travel closer to the sun than any previous spacecraft is on its way after a successful launch from Cape Canaveral.

The United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy carrying NASA’s Parker Solar Probe mission lifted off from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 3:31 a.m. Eastern. Controllers scrubbed a launch attempt the previous day because of technical issues late in the countdown. The spacecraft separated from its kick stage 43 minutes after launch.
The 700-kilogram spacecraft required not only a Delta 4 Heavy but also a Star 48BV kick stage from Northrop Grumman in order to counteract the Earth’s rotational speed around the sun, allowing it to fall closer to the sun. The spacecraft will also perform a series of Venus flybys, starting in early October, to bring it closer to the sun.
Parker Solar Probe will perform its first close approach to the sun in November, coming within about 24.8 million kilometers. Future flybys will bring it even closer, eventually coming as close as 6.1 million kilometers, far closer than any previous spacecraft. During those later close approaches, the spacecraft will be traveling at up to 695,000 kilometers per hour.
Those close approaches are needed for Parker’s instruments to study the solar wind and the corona. By taking measurements from within the corona, scientists hope to better understand how it is heated to temperatures of millions of degrees. The up-close observations may reveal new information about solar eruptions and the solar wind.
“We know the magnetic field is the real key. We know this is why we’re making this daring mission,” said Nicola Fox of the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, project science for the mission, during a pre-launch briefing Aug. 9. “We’re going to go into the transition from where the magnetic field is dominant to where that coronal material dominates the magnetic field.”
Development of Parker Solar Probe — previously known as Solar Probe Plus — dates back a decade, but the idea of sending a spacecraft close to the sun is far older. Concepts for missions to travel to the sun date back to the late 1950s, around the time that University of Chicago physicist Eugene Parker, for whom the mission is named, first proposed the solar wind.
“For the science community, and some of the engineering community, it’s really been 60 years,” said Andy Driesman, project manager for the mission, during the pre-launch briefing. “You can trace back papers and read engineering reports from the ’60s and ’70s about this mission, about different concepts, different ways to get this environment.”
What made the mission feasible was a set of technologies, including a heat shield that protects the spacecraft during its close approach to the sun as well as an active cooling system for the solar panels. The spacecraft also needed to be small enough that it could be launched on the desired trajectory.
“Certainly, finding the right materials” was key, said Fox. “It isn’t just a case of surviving the incredible heat when we’re close to the sun. We come out around Venus and it’s cold there, which means these materials have to withstand heating and cooling, very extreme changes in temperatures.”
Parker Solar Probe has a primary mission of 24 orbits around the sun through the middle of 2025. Driesman, though, said he was optimistic that the spacecraft could operate far longer. “As long as we have propellant on board, we’re going to continue to take science data,” he said.
The mission will ultimately end when the spacecraft runs out of attitude control propellant. “It will lose attitude control and those sensitive bits of the spacecraft, which we worked so hard to protect, will eventually transition to the sun,” he said. “The way I like to think about it is that, hopefully in a long, long period of time, 10 to 20 years, there’s going to be a carbon disk floating around the sun in its orbit. That carbon disk will be around until the end of the solar system.”


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NASA launches Parker Solar Probe mission to study the sun up close.

China, Pakistan show interest in joining solar alliance - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

China, Pakistan show interest in joining solar alliance.

India said that ISA membership will be thrown open to all countries that want to join, with no criteria such as duration of sunlight and geographical location

China and Pakistan have shown interest in becoming members of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), potentially adding heft to the first treaty-based international government organization based in India.
While 65 countries are signatories to the ISA framework agreement, 35 countries have ratified it. With India and France front-ending the attempts to set up ISA, it has become India’s calling card on climate change.
“China is a prospective member country as some parts of it is located within the tropics. As of today, given its location, Pakistan can be a partner country. And there is a proposal to amend the framework agreement. Once an amendment takes place, tropics will not be the borders for the ISA. Pakistan can be a member then,” said a person aware of China’s and Pakistan’s interest in ISA’s membership requesting anonymity.
Initially, ISA envisaged 121 sunshine countries situated between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn as its members. But during the founding conference of the ISA in New Delhi in March this year, India said that membership of the body will be thrown open to all countries that want to join, with no criteria such as duration of sunlight and geographical location.
“The Chinese are interested in partnering with ISA. It is logical given that the move will benefit them due to large solar manufacturing capacities that they have developed. Many countries are interested in ISA,” said the person quoted above.
Solar modules or panels account for nearly 60% of a solar power project’s cost, with China’s solar panel manufacturing capacity estimated to be around 70 gigawatts (GW) per year.
“Pakistan’s view is that since it’s not within the tropics, it can’t be a member. However, once the amendment is done, they are interested in becoming a member. They will benefit from the opportunities that ISA can provide,” said the person.
ISA’s mission to undertake joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and the cost of technology, mobilise more than $1,000 billion of investments needed by 2030 for massive deployment of solar energy, and pave the way for future technologies.
Queries emailed to spokespersons of India’s ministries of external affairs and new and renewable energy on Sunday remained unanswered. Questions emailed to the Chinese embassy and Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi also remained unanswered.
The idea of a solar alliance of countries that receive sunshine for around 300 days a year was mooted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is increasingly being viewed as a foreign policy tool with the first general assembly of ISA to be held in India in October. The general assembly is expected to coincide with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the third annual general meeting of the board of governors of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in Mumbai on Tuesday, Modi said, “We are also making collaborative efforts to mainstream solar energy in the form of an International Solar Alliance.”
Other prominent intergovernmental organizations in the energy sector include the Vienna-based Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA).
Interestingly, Jin Liqun, president, AIIB on Tuesday pitched China’s ‘One Belt One Road’ (Obor) initiative aimed at connecting around 60 countries across Asia, Africa and Europe at the opening ceremony. China has a 31.02% stake in AIIB, while India, with 8.72% stake, is the second-largest stakeholder.
India has been critical of China developing the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, part Obor infrastructure initiative cutting through Gilgit and Baltistan areas of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Obor, first unveiled by Chinese president Xi Jinping in 2013, aims to put billions of dollars in infrastructure projects, including railways, ports and power grids across Asia, Africa and Europe.(Source: Livemint)


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India third largest solar market in the world: Mercom Communications - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis

India third largest solar market in the world: Mercom Communications.

India set a new record with 9.6 GW of solar installations in 2017, which was more than double the 4.3 GW installed in 2016.

India emerged as the third largest solar market in the world in 2017 behind China and the US, Mercom Communications India said in a report.
"In 2017, India emerged as the third largest solar market ...having grown at a CAGR of approximately 170 per cent since 2010," it said.
As per the report, India set a new record with 9.6 GW of solar installations in 2017, which was more than double the 4.3 GW installed in 2016.
The robust growth boosted the country's total solar installed capacity to 19.6 GW as of December 2017, it added.
"In 2017, larger players started consolidating their positions at the top as India quickly emerged as one of the most important solar markets in the world for suppliers and vendors,"Mercom Capital Group CEO Raj Prabhu said.
As of 2017-end, large-scale project development accounted for 92 per cent of the all-time cumulative solar installations in India with 19.6 GW, and 2017 alone made up 90 per cent of such installations with 8.6 GW.
Of the total 1.6 GW cumulative solar rooftop installations in India by 2017, 995 MW was installed last year.
Mercom Communications India is an arm of global clean energy consulting firm Mercom Capital Group. (Source: The Business Standard)


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India third largest solar market in the world: Mercom Communications.