China has formally petitioned the World Trade Organization (WTO) for dispute consultations with the U.S. regarding certain tax credits under the country’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to promote the production of electric vehicles (EV) and renewable energy projects.

The request was circulated to WTO members last week, and China has contended that U.S. tax credits are contingent on the use of domestic over imported goods or discrimination against goods of Chinese origin. This, it has argued, violates the provisions under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994, the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures, and the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures.

Widely recognized as a game-changer for U.S. energy transition efforts, the IRA was signed into law in August 2022. It proposes $369.75 billion in energy security and climate change programs over ten years.

According to China, independent studies have estimated that the value of subsidies for clean energy and e-mobility programs under IRA exceeds $1 trillion.

“While the subsidies provided under the IRA are massive and far-reaching in their economic effects, this request for consultations concerns only certain subsidies provided under the IRA that are contingent, in one way or another, upon the use of domestic over imported goods or that otherwise discriminate against goods of Chinese origin,” China has said.

China has named Clean Vehicle Credit, Investment Tax Credit for Energy Property, Clean Electricity Investment Tax Credit, Production Tax Credit for Electricity from Renewables, and Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit as discriminatory products originating in that country.

“International trade in clean energy products, including the inputs to those products, can accelerate and reduce the costs of the clean energy transition when undertaken in accordance with the WTO Agreement. Non-prohibited, non-discriminatory subsidies have a role to play in this transition,” China said in its petition.

However, China contended that the subsidies under IRA are “discriminatory, protectionist, and contrary to WTO rules.”

“They do nothing to advance the shared interest that all members have in addressing climate change and are to be condemned,” the request for consultations said.

Last December, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service proposed regulations and provided guidance to the advanced manufacturing production credit established by the IRA. The new Section 45X provides a credit for the domestic production and sale of solar and wind energy components, inverters, qualifying battery components, and applicable critical minerals.

NTPC Renewable Energy (NTPC REL) has invited bids for the balance of the system package (excluding land and transmission system) of a 500 MW state transmission utility (STU)-connected solar power project in Bhadla, Rajasthan.

The last date for submitting bids is May 1, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The scope of the work includes design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, testing, and commissioning of a solar photovoltaic project.

However, it excludes the supply of solar modules, land, and transmission system set up.

The cost of bidding documents is ₹ $22,500 (~$269.84). Additionally, all bids must be accompanied by a bid security of ₹100 million (~$)1.19 million).

The responsibility for providing the land with boundary fencing and establishing the transmission line to the nearest STU substation falls within the NTPC REL’s scope.

The winning bidder will also be responsible for site preparation, including grading and clearing vegetation and optionally conducting a topographical survey and geotechnical investigations of the project area.

Additionally, the bidder is responsible for the design and construction of the foundation and the erection of the Single Axis Tracker-based module mounting structure for solar photovoltaic panels.

The bidder should also arrange power and water supply for construction purposes and undertake all associated electrical and civil works necessary for interfacing with the grid, including the installation of transformers, panels, protection systems, cables, metering at 33 kV level, and conducting grid compliance studies as per regulations.

The bidder will also be responsible for supplying and installing appropriate reactive compensation equipment to ensure compliance with dynamic reactive power compensation requirements at the point of interconnection at the STU end.

NTPC REL plans to finance the subject package using its own resources or borrowings.

The bidder should be either a developer or designed, supplied, erected/supervised erection, and commissioned/supervised commissioning of the balance of the system of solar-based grid-connected power projects with a cumulative installed capacity of 40 MW or higher.

Among these, at least one project should have a capacity of 10 MW or higher. The reference project of 10 MW or higher capacity must have been in successful operation for at least six months before the bid opening date.

Alternatively, the bidder should have executed, in the last ten years, an industrial project either as a developer or as an EPC contractor in the area of power/steel/oil and gas/petrochemical/fertilizer/cement/coal mining, including coal handling plant and/or any other process industry, with a value of ₹1.28 billion (~$15.3 million) or more, in a single project or single work.

The project should be in successful operation for at least one year or six months prior to the date of the bid opening.

Additionally, the bidder should have executed at least one electrical sub-station of 33 kV or above voltage level, consisting of equipment such as 33 kV or above voltage level circuit breakers and power transformers, either as a developer or an EPC contractor.

The sub-station should be in successful operation for at least one year or six months prior to the date of the bid opening.

The bidder’s average annual turnover should be at least ₹1.28 billion (~$15.3 million) for any three financial years out of the preceding five financial years as of the bid opening date.

NTPC Renewable Energy recently invited bids for the land and power evacuation package to set up a 150 MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic power project in Bhadla, Rajasthan.

NTPC also invited bids for retrofitting a solar inverter for the 5 MW solar photovoltaic power project at its Dadri thermal power plant in Uttar Pradesh.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of tender activity in real-time.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has approved a tariff of ₹2.90 (~$0.034)/kWh [100 MW] and ₹2.95 (~$0.035)/kWh [500 MW] plus a trading margin of ₹0.07 (~$0.0008)/kWh for Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI) 600 MW wind power projects (Tranche-XIII).

The projects will be connected to the interstate transmission system (ISTS), and project developers were selected through a competitive bidding process.

Background

SECI had filed a petition to adopt a tariff for the wind projects.

The respondents in the case were GRIDCO, SJVN, Teq Green Power XI (O2 Power), SJVN Green Energy, and Scatec India Renewable One (Scatec).

SECI highlighted that the wind power projects would help the distribution licensees to meet their Renewable Purchase Obligations requirements apart from providing power at very economical rates.

Following the conclusion of the e-reverse auction, the successful bidders were announced as follows:

On January 19, 2023, SECI issued Letters of Award to the selected bidders.

Commission’s Analysis

As per Clause 5.1(b) of the guidelines, the procurer must inform the appropriate Commission about the commencement of the bidding process. In line with this, SECI, through its letter dated January 31, 2022, notified the Commission about initiating the competitive bidding process under the tender dated January 12, 2022.

At the request of distribution licensees, SECI assigned GRIDCO the 600 MW capacity.

On June 9, 2023, SECI entered into a power sale agreement with GRIDCO and signed PPAs with the three selected bidders.

The Commission endorsed the individual tariff for the wind power projects, as agreed upon by the successful bidders and established through PPAs entered into by SECI based on the PSAs with the distribution licensee.

Earlier, CERC approved the tariff for Solar Energy Corporation of India’s 1200 MW wind projects and said that the increase in GST rates on renewable energy devices, following the Ministry of Finance’s notification post-July 6, 2021, was a Change in Law event.

Subscribe to Mercom’s real-time Regulatory Updates to stay informed about critical updates from the renewable industry.

Government-owned lender Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) approved loans amounting to ₹373.54 billion (~$4.48 billion) and disbursed ₹250.89 billion (~$3.01 billion) in loans during the financial year (FY) 2023-24.

The approved and disbursed amounts were the highest-ever annual figures recorded by the lender.

The loan approvals were up 14.63% year-over-year (YoY) from ₹325.87 billion (~$3.91 billion), and the disbursements increased by 15.94% from ₹216.39 billion (~$2.59 billion) at the end of FY 2022-23.

In the fourth quarter of FY24, IREDA approved loans of ₹237.96 billion (~$2.85 billion), up 101.71% YoY. The disbursements for the January to March period increased by 13.98% to ₹128.69 billion (~$1.54 billion),

The company’s loan book saw a 26.71% growth to ₹596.50 billion (~$7.15 billion) at the end of March 2024.

Pradip Kumar Das, Chairman and Managing Director of IREDA, said, “IREDA’s record loan sanctions and disbursements for the financial year 2023-24 underscore our untiring commitment to driving the renewable energy revolution in the country. We are happy to contribute significantly towards Govt. of India’s renewable energy targets and look forward to further amplifying our impact in the coming years.”

In February 2024, the company received approval from the Reserve Bank of India to set up its wholly-owned subsidiary in the International Financial Services Centre situated in GIFT City, Gujarat. The subsidiary is expected to serve as an offshore platform for securing competitive funding to push the growth of the renewable energy sector.

Earlier, IREDA reported a 67% YoY increase in profit after tax for Q3 of FY 2023-24 to ₹3.36 billion (~$40.28 million) from ₹2.01 billion (~$24.1 million). The considerable profit growth was primarily driven by the consistent growth in the company’s loan book and a significant reduction in its net non-performing assets to 1.52% in Q3 from 2.03% in the same period last year, a 25% improvement.

Last year, the company launched its retail division with an emphasis on providing loans in the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) sector. The strategic initiative is expected to target borrowers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan program, as well as rooftop solar consumers and other B2C segments.

Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) has issued a tender for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a 1 MW grid-connected open access captive solar power project at its Northern Region Pipelines in Kurukshetra, Haryana.

In addition to commissioning the project, the contract will encompass one year of complete operation and maintenance (O&M) services following construction and an additional nine years of extended operation and maintenance support.

The last date for bid submission is April 29, 2024, and the bid opening is scheduled for the next day.

The contract duration is 127 months from the date of the letter of acceptance, with a Part-A duration of 19 months (7 months for project commissioning and one year O&M and a Part-B duration of 9 years from the completion of Part-A.

The earnest money deposit for the tender is ₹641,700 (~$79,000), with exemptions for central and state public sector undertakings and joint ventures of IOCL.

The annual turnover of the bidders during any one of the preceding three financial years should not be less than ₹41.9 million (~$517,000).

Bidders must have executed at least 1 MW of on-grid solar power project with net-metering/gross metering/net billing or feed-in/open access facility in any industry, either as the main contractor or subcontractor, within the last seven years.

The required project experience includes three similar completed works, each valued at no less than ₹21 million (~$251,000); two similar completed works, each valued at no less than ₹28 million (~$336,000) and one similar completed work valued at no less than ₹35 million (~$420,000).

Last month, IOCL invited bids for an EPC contract for a 1 MW solar power project at Southern Region Pipelines in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh.

Late last year, it invited bids for O&M of an existing 1.1 MW solar power project at Indane Bottling Plant, Devanagonthi village in Bengaluru Rural district in Karnataka.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of the real-time tender activity.

Erthos has signed a master agreement with Sky Community Solar for a 180 MW portfolio in Texas, with the projects under contract ranging in size from 9 MW to 18 MW and set to be located near the state’s major population centers.

The company’s Earth Mount Solar aims to reinvent large-scale solar design, with PV modules placed flat on the ground in order to reduce installation time and materials.

“We’ve all read the news stories of projects getting stalled or canceled because of community opposition, and we think communities are right to ask questions,” says Charles Pimentel, president of Erthos. “Solar has the potential to improve the lives of everyone on the planet, but it needs to be done in a way that harmonizes with the land and the people who live there.” 

The construction of the first project is slated to commence this year, with the full portfolio expected to reach commercial operation by the end of 2026.

The post Erthos Selected for 180 MW Texas Community Solar Portfolio appeared first on Solar Industry.

Brightcore Energy is developing a portfolio of solar projects for Princeton University’s Facilities Organization, which will be installed on rooftops and canopies on the university’s Princeton, N.J., campus.

The project involves four arrays consisting of 4,039 panels, two of which will be rooftop-mounted and two canopy-mounted, with an aggregate 2.2 MW of capacity. 

“We are so very proud to have been selected for this project,” says Mike Richter, president of Brightcore. “The university has rigorous selection standards and was extremely thoughtful and supportive throughout the process. The school has shown great leadership with its ambitious and detailed sustainability plans, and we are excited to play a role in that.”

The company expects to begin project construction this summer.

The post Brightcore Energy Developing Projects on Princeton University Campus appeared first on Solar Industry.

Power sector infrastructure investment trust IndiGrid has operationalized its first greenfield project, Kallam Transmission, in Beed, Maharashtra. The project will evacuate 1 GW of power from renewable energy projects in the state’s Dharashiv area.

The project consists of one substation of 2 x 500 MVA capacity with 400/220 kV voltage and ten bays with a line-in line-out (LILO) circuit line of 18 kilometers.

Developed on a build-own-operate-maintain (BOOM) basis for 35 years, the project received approval for energization in February this year. The company claims this will improve the grid availability for evacuation and integration of renewable energy.

“We are delighted to commence the operation of KTL, which is our first foray into the greenfield transmission space. We have built sizable execution expertise, which enables us to participate in the substantial transmission bidding pipeline on the TBCB route. As IndiGrid gears to enter more greenfield opportunities, this project has equipped us with valuable learnings and positions us well for further wins,” said Harsh Shah, IndiGrid CEO.

IndiGrid has secured five more greenfield projects in Maharashtra, New Delhi, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The company owns 37 power projects, consisting of 46 transmission lines spanning ~8,468 km in length, 13 substations with ~17,550 MVA transformation capacity, and ~855 MWAC (~1.1 GW) of solar generation capacity.

This project also aligns with IndiGrid’s efforts to contribute to India’s renewable energy transition and enable the evacuation of at least 2 GW of renewable energy.

Last month, IndiGrid won an auction to set up projects of 250 MW/500 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems in Gujarat. The company secured a 180 MW/360 MWh capacity at a tariff of ₹449,996 (~$5,436)/MW/month.

In January, IndiGrid signed a share purchase agreement to acquire ReNew’s 300 MW solar project in Rajasthan at an enterprise valuation of ₹15.5 billion (~$186.5 million).