India Hosts 6th Session of International Solar Alliance Assembly at New Delhi

The Sixth Assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was hosted in New Delhi and was presided over by Raj Kumar Singh, Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy, Government of India in his capacity as the President of the ISA Assembly. Ministers from 20 countries and delegates from across 116 Member and Signatory countries participated in the Assembly.

Speaking on the occasion, Raj Kumar Singh said: “Around 80 percent of the global population resides in countries that depend on fossil fuel imports, totalling a staggering 6 billion people. Renewable energy sources have the potential to supply 65 percent of the world's total electricity by 2030 and decarbonise 90 percent of the power sector by 2050. The International Solar Alliance is steadfast in its commitment to Member Countries to make solar as the energy source of choice, foster environments conducive to attracting investments and ensuring ample energy availability to meet the surging global demands. Towards this, ISA through its Viability Gap Funding (VGF) mechanism provides a grant of USD 150,000 or 10% of the project cost (whichever is lower), per country per project. The Assembly decided to increase the range to 35% of the project cost, depending on the capacity and needs of the countries and their respective projects.”

Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General of International Solar Alliance, said: “We urgently need to accelerate the build-up of solar energy, especially in developing countries and in applications that influence the daily lives of those without access to reliable energy – such as getting electricity from solar mini-grids, powering agricultural pumps, running cold storages, etc. Capacity building and regulatory change are necessary enablers towards that. ISA is facilitating over 9.5 GW of solar applications in 55 developing countries, including LDCs and SIDS, and have already provided training to nearly 4000 people across the developing world on ways to make a living out of supporting solar energy. We are working on developing STAR Centres in countries which will be a hub of technology, knowledge, and expertise on solar energy. In addition, ISA is enabling solar mini grids to provide universal energy access, especially where grid extension is too expensive. Guarantees help in crowding-in private sector investment, and ISA has developed such a mechanism to provide guarantees through its Global Solar Facility to its member countries in Africa. We are also enabling entrepreneurs in these countries who can, with help, become major suppliers of solar energy across countries and regions.”

In May 2020, ISA initiated Demonstration Projects to meet the needs of LDCs and SIDS. The aim was to exhibit solar technology applications, which can be scaled up, and build the capacity of beneficiary member countries. Four projects set up with ISA’s assistance were inaugurated by Shri RK Singh These projects include:

The Assembly is the apex decision-making body of ISA, in which each Member Country is represented. This body makes decisions concerning the implementation of the ISA’s Framework Agreement and coordinated actions to be taken to achieve its objective. The Assembly meets annually at the ministerial level at the ISA’s seat.

It assesses the aggregate effect of the programmes and other activities in terms of deployment of solar energy, performance, reliability, cost, and scale of finance. The Sixth Assembly of the ISA is deliberating on the key initiatives of ISA on three critical issues energy access, energy security, and energy transition.