India

Longi Solar will set up a 1 GW solar PV manufacturing facility in India’s Andhra Pradesh. It will manufacture 500 MW of cells and 500 MW of modules, a spokesperson tells pv magazine. The facility is expected to be commissioned by Q1 2019 at the latest, and will seek to take advantage of India’s partial exemption from the recent U.S. solar tariffs, imposed by President Trump last week.

The U.S. President’s proclamation provides a path for specific products to apply for exemption from tariffs, which had been sought by both SunPower and the government of South Korea. Additionally, imports from a number of developing nations are exempt as long as import levels remain small.

This week’s World Future Energy Summit (WFES) saw a letter of intent inked at the International Solar Alliance’s (ISA’s) pavilion to secure financing of up to US$5 billion with India’s YES Bank by 2030. The organization also signed deals for nine solar projects across five ISA member countries, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, India and Spain.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has postponed the 2 GW PV project tender until further notice. The company has also extended the deadline for expressions of interest for setting up solar manufacturing plants in India until January 29.

Azure power has won a 200 MW solar PV project to be developed at the Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, in an auction conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

India hit back on Monday at Washington’s latest legal assault on its solar power policies at the World Trade Organization, rejecting a US legal claim and exploring possible new protection of India’s own solar industry.

Venture capital, debt, securitization and project finance were all winners in 2017, as were solar stocks. However Mercom Capital warns that the pending Section 201 ruling could cause significant damage to the sector in 2018.

The All India Solar Industries Association (AISIA) says the proposed safeguard duty will be counterproductive for the solar industry, and has called for differential anti-dumping duties for specific countries to be imposed, including China.

SECI has had a busy day, releasing three tenders worth 1.2 GW. Following on from a 275 MW tender this morning, it has now announced a 950 MW tender for grid connected solar PV projects in the state of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, under the National Solar Mission of Phase-II, Batch-IV.

According to reports, India is planning to impose a 7.5% tax on imported solar PV modules.