India weighs petitions on mandate for domestic solar cells

NEW DELHI: India's clean energy ministry said on Thursday it was examining petitions from both solar manufacturers and developers of clean energy over a mandate to use only ‌domestically made ⁠solar ⁠cells in power projects from June.

Here are some details:

A severe shortage of solar cells looms as new rules from June mandate the use of domestically made cells in solar panels, Reuters ⁠reported this ‌week.


Such mandatory use would drive up prices of solar panels ⁠and delay projects, manufacturers have warned the ministry.

India's domestic cell manufacturing capacity of about 25.6 gigawatt falls short of annual demand of roughly 50 GW, with imports from China supplying more than 90%, the ‌industry says.

"Both manufacturers and developers have petitioned on both sides, which are under examination," ⁠the ministry said, without elaborating or giving a timeframe for a decision.

India's tighter local sourcing rules are part of a push to build domestic clean energy supply chains and meet a net-zero emissions target by 2070.