Page 9 - AsiaElec Week 18 2022

AsiaElec RENEWABLES AsiaElec

EU-India PV co-operation

in the making

INDIA IN moves aimed at helping the EU and India no mention of India or any possible future alli-
slash their dependency on Chinese-made ances with New Delhi.
solar panels, European Commission President However, with the government of Narendra
Ursula von der Leyen last week used a visit to the Modi in recent months making good on earlier
sub-continent to speak to the Gurugram-based promises to increase panel production in India
International Solar Alliance (ISA), in the process to help wean itself off Chinese made products,
calling for increased co-operation between the the EU too also looks to be intent on giving a
two governments. boost to its own floundering renewables pro-
“We need to step up our co-operation” von duction industry.
der Leyen said to the Alliance. Fifteen years ago, Europe produced over 40%
The ISA was founded by France and India in of all solar panels made worldwide, although
2015, in part to enable solar power to be used in with China, and to a lesser extent Taiwan and
developing nations. This concept remains at the Japan having invested heavily in their own solar
forefront of ISA operations, with director-gen- production infrastructure in recent years, this
eral of the ISA Ajay Mathur saying the ISA and figure has plummeted to just 3%.
the EU “have a particular interest in enabling the The output for Asian nations meanwhile is a
future energy growth in Africa to be based on combined 95% of global manufacturing output.
solar energy.” China alone produces around 66% of all solar
He added: “We also both believe that it is panels manufactured in 2022.
important to focus on globally disbursed man- No specific details were added by either side,
ufacturing of solar panels and batteries as well as although von der Leyen did refer to efforts in
creating national frameworks for the recycling both camps to move towards zero emissions
and disposal of PV and battery waste.” when she spoke of combined efforts to “reach
Von der Leyen went on to say: “We can learn ambitious decarbonisation targets, with more
from each other how to finance, promote and intense joint efforts on solar energy, and [to]
deploy solar energy” before assuring the ISA that further the co-operation on green hydrogen in
later in May, a new road map will be presented particular.”
by the EU. Recent EU moves to nudge India into stand-
Like India some months ago, the EU, ing strong against Russia over Moscow’s invasion
prompted in part by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, of Ukraine remained the elephant in the room
has come to realise that an over-dependency for throughout much of the visit, however, with New
solar panels on as close an ally of Moscow as Bei- Delhi still heavily reliant on Russian exports to
jing might not be in the interests of its member supply the nation’s defence forces.
states. Acknowledging this, a Commission missive
Earlier in the year the European Commis- issued in response to the visit offered a nod to the
sioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, spoke of a existing status-quo, saying: “Both sides agreed
“renewed political will and a practical need for that rapid changes in the geopolitical environ-
boosting our renewables capacity” (in Europe). ment highlight the need for joint in-depth stra-
Ms. Simson, an Estonian national, said: “we tegic engagement,” albeit falling short of making
need to bring manufacturing back to Europe any mention of future moves to boost direct solar
and the Commission is willing to do whatever it co-operation. ™
takes to make it happen.” At the time she made

Week 18 04•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9