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Interviews

India’s Power Sector Must be Financially, Physically Resilient to Secure Investments it Needs

Ministry of Power's Early Commissioning Incentive Policy Needs to be Revised
 
The early commissioning incentive policy of the Ministry of Power (MoP) needs a revision given that transmission projects now need to be commissioned in tandem with renewable energy projects, in 18-24 months, suggests Manish Agarwal, CEO – Infrastructure & Solutions Business, Sterlite Power, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Agarwal also suggested various policy changes required to boost the transmission sector, challenges of the transmission sector, the significance of the development of power infrastructure in light of the OSOWOG initiative, etc. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

We are Currently Working on the Impact of Cyclones on Electric Power in India

There’re Many Hydropower Projects Vulnerable to Natural Disasters
 
The recent glacier ice avalanche-induced flash flood that occurred on February 7, 2021, is a recent example, which impacted the river channels and hydropower projects located close to the glacier in the downstream area. Although the event damaged Rishi Ganga Hydel Project and Tapovan-Vishnugad Hydropower Project, there are many other hydropower projects which are vulnerable to natural disasters, disclosed Pushpendra Johari, Senior VP – Sustainability, RMSI, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Johari also discussed his company’s key findings, and the reasons behind Uttarakhand’s Glacier Ice Avalanche, suggestive measures to avoid such events, etc. Here’re the edited excerpts:

Electric Vehicle Sector will be a Special Feature of This Year in RenewX

Solar Power is Set for Explosive Growth in India
The Indian electricity sector is on the cusp of a solar-powered revolution. Solar power is set for explosive growth in India, matching coal’s share in the Indian power generation mix within two decades or even sooner. This dramatic turnaround is driven by India’s policy ambitions, notably the target to reach 450 GW of renewable capacity by 2030, and the extraordinary cost-competitiveness of solar, which out-competes existing coal-fired power by 2030 even when paired with battery storage, believes Rajneesh Khattar, Group Director – India at Informa Markets, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Khattar also discussed how his company is planning to organize RenewX this year, show highlights, industry outlook for 2021 etc.

 

Currently where Petrol Prices are Rising, EVs Make Perfect Sense for Last-Mile Delivery

There's a lot more than the Government can do for the start-up ecosystem in India

We think that the start-up ecosystem in India is growing but there is a lot more than the government can do other than lip service. As a startup entrepreneur, our expectations include - Special startup incubators, preference for startups with lower capital ability to compete with big guns in government contracts, etc.

In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility space, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Dhairya Gupta, Founder & CEO, Earth Ride. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

 

Driving Down the LCoE of Wind Power is the Biggest Ongoing Challenge

We Expect Indian Market to Recover, Supported by Solid Regulations

We expect the market to recover, supported by solid regulations that incentivize investment in new wind projects. Ingeteam, as well as other key players in the Indian market are seeking stability that can enable us to strengthen processes and relationships in order to optimize performance. From a manufacturing perspective, steps on this have already been taken by the Government with various incentive programs to foster the make in India strategy, shares Alberto Barcia, Commercial Director of Ingeteam Wind Energy, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Barcia also discussed about his company’s products offerings, industry challenges, 2021 outlook, expectations etc. Here’re the edited excerpts:

We Plan to Solarise 1,00,000 Homes in Near Future

Self interest of Discom’s and their aim to retain monopoly is hurting the long-term perspective of renewables

Sudden policy changes and complex regulatory aspect is the biggest challenge we face today. The self interest of power distribution companies (Discom’s) and their aim to retain monopoly in power management business is hurting the long term perspective of renewables in India and this needs to be taken care of.
On International Women’s Day, in an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Nidhi Gupta, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Rays Experts. Here’re some edited excerpts from that exclusive interaction:

Subsidised Rate of Electricity to be Given to Small Rural Mfg Units to Lower their Running Cost

Supply Side has to be Incentivised to Keep up the Pace with Demand Side

We clearly see the demand rising continuously as it’s driven by distinct advantage to the user in terms of cost and environment norms. However, the supply side has to be incentivised to keep up the pace with demand side. There is large occurrence of failure in small manufacturers in this field. This is where the Government support is critical.

In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility space, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Ashvin Patil, Founder & Director, Biofuels Junction Pvt Ltd. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

Availability of Skilled Manpower in Construction and O&M Remains a Challenge

Renewable energy industry is growing very rapidly, and so are the jobs

The Renewable Energy industry is growing very rapidly, and so are the jobs in this sector. Yes, the female to male ratio is a bit low, but it is gradually improving as organisations are also looking at ways to make the workplace more equitable. I encourage women to apply for jobs in solar, as this is an exciting area to work in, with tremendous growth opportunities.

In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Ritu Lal, Senior VP & Head, Institutional Relations at Amplus Solar. Here’re some edited excerpts from that interaction:

We are seeing digital transformation in the energy sector

In a few lines, what does your company offer to the sector and how many years has it been doing it?
MathWorks is focused on offering engineers and scientists’ tools and technologies that allow them to do their best work. Our products, MATLAB and Simulink are used extensively - in power & energy industry to develop and implement power system models, analyze big data, and automate processes, and develop embedded control and signal pr...

Technological Advancement, Innovation Key to Achieve AtmaNirbhar Bharat in Solar Manufacturing

There Must be Atleast 40% of BCD on Solar Modules for Indian Manufacturers to Compete

Building strong integrated solar industrial clusters along with clear policy framework from the government a must for solar manufactures to prosper in India. The government should also create a specialized infrastructure covering the entire value chain from R&D, testing, training center, and other required supporting services. We need a clear policy framework from the government ensuring substantial solar cell and module production demand in the next few years for Indian solar manufactures. There must be at least 40% of BCD on modules for the Indian manufacturers to compete with their Chinese counterparts, belives D.V. Manjunatha, Founder & Managing Director, Emmvee Group, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Manjunatha also discussed about his company’s products offerings, expansion plans, 2021 outlook, expectations etc. Here’re the edited excerpts:

Working with India, its Govt, its Companies and its People is Very Attractive to us

NEOM will Offer Investors, Entrepreneurs an Attractive Environment for Investment, Biz

NEOM will offer investors and entrepreneurs alike an attractive environment for business and investment, all supported by a progressive law compatible with international norms and conducive to economic growth. THE LINE, in turn, will power NEOM as it becomes a hub for innovation where global business and emerging players can research, incubate and commercialize ground-breaking technologies to accelerate human progress, shares Peter Terium, Head of Energy, Water and Food at NEOM – home of Saudi Arabia’s most ambitious future smart city completely based on clean energy, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Terium previously headed German energy companies Innogy and RWE as CEO.

Need to Boost Infrastructure Financing and Encourage Regional Collaboration in Power Sharing

Rs 5,000 Cr Worth of Transmission Projects Currently Delayed Due to ROW Issues

The construction and commissioning of transmission projects worth more than Rs 5,000 crore are currently delayed due to ROW issues. Linear projects like transmission have little leeway in negotiating ROW, forest, wildlife, defence, airport, coastal zone etc. and are therefore heavily dependent on active government support. The tight execution timelines further amplify this challenge and complexity. Unavailability of ROW clearances is consequently affecting the construction schedule of these critical transmission projects and will impact project completion timelines, shares Vijay Chhibber, Director General of Electric Power Transmission Association (EPTA), in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Chhibber also discussed about the significance of power transmission sector in India’s road towards $5 trillion economy, impact of Covid-19 on upcoming projects, challenges faced by private players, expectation from Govt etc.

We will Put Much More Resources into Marketing to Further Expand Our Brand Reputation

We will ramp up marketing both online and offline

Kehua will put much more resources into marketing actions that covers both online and offline activities. We have built connections with the most influential organizations in different countries. What’s more, numerous of road shows and regional promotion activities will be organized together with our local partners to further expand our brand reputation, says Sunny Xu, CEO of Kehua Tech India, solar inverter manufacturer, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Xu discussed about various topics including her company’s journey in solar, plans for brand expansion, market USP, PV plus ESS applications etc.

We expect that by 2022, 30% of Projects to be Executed in Utility Segment with String Inverters

We are Targeting Over 600-800MW in India Next Year

We are targeting more than 600-800MW in India next year. This includes balanced product spread across residential, C&I and Utility segments. Our new advanced state-of-the-art manufacturing facility will also be ready by Feb – Mar, this will further fillip our shipments. With this new facility the total annual capacity will reach more than 20+GWs annually, says Honey Raza, Head – Sales India, Ginlong (Solis) Technologies, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Raza also shared about his company’s latest product offerings, investment & expansion plans etc. Here’re the edited excerpts

We Must Understand that an Equal World is an Enabled World

Rooftop Solar Sector Needs its Own Set of Policies

Rooftop solar in India has not been able to scale up to the level and attained critical mass although it has tremendous potential. This has been primarily due to inadequate policy push and more focus been given to utility scale solar. Rooftop solar sector needs its own set of policies directed to promote rapid deployment of assets such as removal of upper limit for net metering, better financing options, and avoiding frequent policy revisions. In an exclusive interaction series with women influencers in the power sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Rajni Bhandari, AGM- Marketing at Amp Energy India. Here’re some edited excerpts from that interaction:

EV Still at Nascent Stage in India, Challenges have been Multi-Fold and Multi-Dimensional

There are a few good schemes that are launched by the Government for Startups; however, they are not implemented in true letter and spirit. So essentially a start-up is not able to utilise it properly and the scheme stays as a marketing exercise only. In my view, there is more that can be done for promoting start-ups in India.

In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy and mobility sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Nishant Saini, Founder and MD of EEE-Taxi. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

Energy Sector has Potential to Play Major Role in Economic Revival & Creating Jobs after Crisis

To Achieve Most Competitive Tariffs in India, Investment Cost Must be Continuously Optimized

In order to achieve the most competitive tariffs in India, the cost of investment must be continuously optimized. This context will allow the implementation in the Indian market of improved technologies such as bifacial and higher efficiency solar panels, more performant wind turbines with higher capacity and larger diameter, or also other innovative solutions, such as molten salt storage solutions for solar electricity or wind and solar hybrid installations combined with energy management systems. These solutions are now being experimented in some countries, believes Harmanjit Nagi, Managing Director, EDF India – an arm of French multinational electric utility company, in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Nagi also discussed about his company’s energy portfolio in India, its 2030 targets, EDF’s Pulse Start-up programme etc.

LiFePO4 Battery will Rule the Market in Coming Years

With Breakthrough of Technology and Rise in Market Demand, Price of LFP Battery will Drop in Near Future

The battery system is the core part of Energy Storage System (ESS), we think the LFP (LiFePO4) battery will rule the market in the coming years. Customers are concerned about the safety issue of the battery system especially when they get one installed inside their house. LFP battery is more stable and safer, also with reasonable energy density, which makes people feel safe and reliable. With the breakthrough of the technology and market demand increasing, the price of the LFP battery should drop down in near future, which makes the customer become affordable to pay it easily, believes Lisa Zhang, Marketing Director, Growatt in an exclusive interview with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Lisa shared her company’s product offerings for the Indian market, revenue targets, rooftop solar market expansion plans etc.

Changing Consumer Behavior is Key Challenge for the Energy Industry

If World has to Transition to Greener Distributed Energy, Consumers will have to Co-Participate as Energy Prosumers

While climate change is a big problem to solve and energy transition is going to be bigger than let us say, the telephony transition; however, changing consumer behavior is the key challenge for the energy industry. Having to sensitize business consumers to stop viewing energy as a commodity and see it as a finite resource has been a challenge. If the world has to transition to greener distributed energy systems, both residential and business consumers, will have to co-participate as energy prosumers in the future energy industry.

In an exclusive interaction series with startup companies in the energy sector, Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India, interacted with Rajesh Solanki, Founder & CEO, Energos. Here’re the edited excerpts from that interaction:

Apart from Cells, Modules Govt Should Support Setting up Silicon Ingots, Wafer Mfg in India

We have plans in place to double our capacity to 200 MW by next fiscal

There is a clear need for restricting cheap imports and boosting domestic manufacturing. Apart from cells and modules the Govt. Should support setting up of silicon ingots and wafers manufacturing units hence achieving vertical integration. The total self reliance can be achieved only by having complete control over the entire value chain. We also need to invest in the research and development of new technologies so as to come with new highly efficient innovative products. To capitalise on this opportunity we have plans in place to double our capacity to 200 MW by next fiscal, believes Manish Gupta, Managing Director, Insolation Energy Pvt. Ltd., in an exclusive conversation with Manu Tayal, Associate Editor, Energetica India. Gupta discussed on various topics including the impact of various policy initiatives taken by the govt, his company’s plans under Make in India initiative, suggestions for the policy makers etc.
 
 
 
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