Covid-19: Need to focus on improving domestic solar manufacturing, says official

As Indian solar industry is heavily dependent on Chinese imports and COVID-19 outbreak has severely impacted installations, it is necessary to focus on improving domestic manufacturing, a senior government official has said.As much as 80 per cent of the demand for solar cells and modules are being met by imports from Chinese companies.

Therefore, the imposition of work restrictions by China in eight affected provinces, most of which are the hub of solar module manufacturers, have impacted Indian solar industry as developers are facing a shortfall of raw materials, which is going to affect the installations in the first half of the year.

“India has a strong manufacturing base for wind equipment, but when it comes to solar, we import 85-87 per cent of our requirement from China and other countries. COVID-19 has given us a lesson that we must ensure energy security for our country and if we have to do that, then we must expand our manufacturing base,” ministry of new and renewable energy secretary Anand Kumar said during a webinar organised by Mercom India.

He said there is a need to facilitate manufacturing of not just modules or cells but there was a need to develop ancillary equipment as well.

“Till now we have been manufacturing cells, modules, ingots and wafer. But now we need to go beyond that and also start manufacturing other ancillary equipment like backsheets, glass, inverters, transformers and cables among others so that we can cater to an entire ecosystem of renewable energy through the make in India initiative,” Kumar added.

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