UBM India launched the 11th edition of the Renewable Energy India (REI) Expo, the three day (20th to 22nd September 2017) show at the India Expo Center, Greater Noida. The expo was inaugurated by key dignitaries , Shri Anand Kumar, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, Shri Upendra Tripathy, IAS, Interim Director General, International Solar Alliance ( ISA ), Mr. Justin Wu, Head of APAC, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Hong Kong, Ms. Henriette Faergemann, Counsellor – Environment, Energy, Climate Change, Delegation of the European Union to India; Mr. Hans-Josef Fell, President of the Energy Watch Group (EWG ) & Former Member of German Parliament, Mr. Naoki Tomotake, Director General International Affairs, NEDO, Japan, Mr. Rene Van Berkel, UNIDO Representative to India, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India, Mr. Michael Duck, Senior Vice President, UBM Asia and Mr. Rajneesh Khattar, Group Director, UBM India amidst an august industry gathering.
At the opening ceremony of the Renewable Energy India (REI) expo, Anand Kumar, the secretary of India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), stated, “Under Prime Minister Modi, we upscaled our total renewable energy target to 175 GW by 2022. With advancements in technology, and with price of solar and wind reducing, we are not only sure but confident that we will not only achieve the target, but exceed it.
In recent consultations, the MNRE has begun to take more seriously the potential of India’s offshore wind and hydropower capacities, and hinted that these technologies will be brought under the renewable energy target.
Kumar also spoke of India’s “silent revolution”, which will see the country rapidly scale up its electricity generation capacity and consumption. “The key challenge is: how should we enable higher energy consumption in India, at a cost people are willing to pay?” he asked, adding: “And not only willing to pay, but able to pay?” The path of least resistance, he affirmed, is the one with the lowest carbon
intensity. “India has limited fossil fuels. We depend on imports for petroleum. If we have to support and meet the demand of 1.25 billion people, then renewables are the only way.”
Kumar also turned his attentions to manufacturing, particularly solar manufacturing where, he said, India’s capabilities are “modest” at best. He concluded. “We should set up manufacturing bases for batteries in India. Once we overcome the obstacle of storage, then the ideal of 24-hour free energy for the people can be realized.”
The 11th edition of REI saw participation from countries high on the Renewable Energy Attractiveness Index such as India, Japan, Germany, France, Poland, USA, Korea, China and Taiwan amongst others.
Bringing together manufacturers, EPC and service providers, the expo had over 750 participating exhibitors. These included — Adani Solar, Tata Power Solar, Azure Power, Sky Power, Canadian Solar, Huawei, Trina Solar, Jinko Solar, Siemens Gamesa, Vikram Solar, Waaree Energies, Mitsubishi, Delta Electronics, Panasonic, SMA, ABB, Kyocera, Sterling & Wilson, Mahindra Sustain, Applied Materials,
POSCO, Fronious, amongst others. The show also featured prominent country pavilions from Japan, China, Poland, France, Korea, and Taiwan to name a few.
Three-day Content-led Conference:
A power packed three-day conference themed ‘Accelerating Momentum…From Ambition to Action’ commenced, encompassing knowledge – rich sessions by the MNRE, ISA, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), IGEF, MNRE – EU Technical Cell, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, PV Magazine, Skill Council for Green Jobs, and Mercom Capital .
Highlights of Day 1 included a riveting session on International Solar Alliance (ISA) that focussed on topics such as
‘EXIM bank and Energy Poverty: How to finance 100 bankable solar projects’. Day 2 saw sessions on ‘Rooftop Solar…Connecting the dots’; ‘Storage Spectrum’; ‘De Risking Investments’; ‘Advantage Rajasthan by State of Rajasthan’; ‘Surya Namaskar : Earn from the Sun’; ‘Innovation Junction’; ‘Micro Grids: Localizing Utilities and Maximizing Opportunities’; ‘Smart Power for Smart Cities’; ‘Anatomy of Solar Panel’ and ‘Golden Triangle: Integrating EPC, BOS and Module Manufacturers’ to name a few.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 11th edition of Renewable Energy India Expo, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, UBM India said, “India has set itself a target to generate renewable energy of 175 GW by 2022. Anticipating higher custom, a growing number of Indian firms, which manufacture solar modules and related equipment, have developed technology to maximise energy generati
on thereby helping meet the target with lesser area and infrastructure. The industry is also witnessing
many smaller companies excel through innovation in a bid to make India self-reliant. According to a recent report, the Indian solar sector has grown rapidly with a capacity addition of 4,765MW during H1 of 2017. Besides, India has recently moved up to the second spot from third position in this year’s ‘Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index’, nudging past US. All this is acting as a huge pull for international investors and equipment suppliers. Against this backdrop, UBM India through the REI Expo helps reinforce the bond amongst the Industry, Government & Investors. The expo serves as an Industry catalyst in bringing multiple country participation, best of technology, cost effective solutions,
participation of industry leaders and various country delegations, top global brands exhibiting their product and solution offerings, and content-rich conferences.”
What’s new at REI Ex
po 2017:
- India’s first Mobile PV test lab on display by Mahindra Susten
- Quality Round Table – An interactive forum by PV Magazine, Germany
- Solar Super Heroes by PV Magazine, Germany
- Skill Competition for Solar Installers
- Solar Design Challenge for EPCs and Developers
- Master class by Enphase Energy, USA: To provide Installers and Engineering, Procurement and Construction companies (EPCs) with knowledge on innovations behind micro-inverter technologies and how micro-inverters are best suited for the Indian rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) market.
- CEO Roundtable and Finance Roundtable
- ‘Advantage Rajasthan’ a seminar by the state of Rajasthan to attract potential investors, manufacturers and developers
- Workshop on ‘Driving operational excellence in Solar & Wind asset management’ by 3E, Belgium and Wise Energy, UK.
