Fourth Assembly of ISA

• 25 Oct 2021

Why in News

Recently, the fourth general assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was held.

• A total of 108 countries participated in the assembly, including 74 member countries, 34 observer and prospective countries, 23 partner organisations and 33 special invitee organisations.

Key Points

• About the International Solar Alliance (ISA):
  
  • The ISA is an intergovernmental treaty-based organisation with a global mandate to catalyse solar growth by helping to reduce the cost of financing and technology.
  • ISA, co-founded by India and France during the 2015 climate change conference in Paris has assumed centre-stage for India’ attempts at a global climate leadership role.
  • ISA is the nodal agency for implementing One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG), which seeks to transfer solar power generated in one region to feed the electricity demands of others.
  • India has allotted 5 acres of land to the ISA in National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE) campus, Gurugram and has released a sum of Rs. 160 crore for creating a corpus fund, building infrastructure and meeting day to day recurring expenditure of the ISA up to the year 2021-22.
    
    • NISE is an autonomous institution of the Ministry of New and Renewable (MNRE) and is the apex National R&D institution in the field of Solar Energy.
• Highlights of the Assembly:
  
  • Solar Investments:
    
    • A promise to achieve USD 1 trillion global investments in solar energy by 2030.
    • A Solar Investment Action Agenda and a Solar Investment Roadmap will be launched at COP26 (United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference).
  • On One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG):
    
    • Gave a green light to the “One Sun” political declaration for the launch of Green Grids Initiative-One Sun One World One Grid (GGI-OSOWOG) at COP26.
      
      • OSOWOG: The concept of a single global grid for solar was first outlined at the First Assembly of the ISA in late 2018.
      • COP 26 Green Grid Initiative: The aim of this initiative is to help achieve the pace and scale of reforms to infrastructure and market structures needed to underpin the global energy transition.
  • New ISA Programmes:
    
    • New ISA programmes launched on management of solar PV panels & battery usage waste and solar hydrogen programme.
      
      • The new Hydrogen initiative is aimed at enabling the use of solar electricity to produce hydrogen at a more affordable rate than what is available currently (USD 5 per KG), by bringing it down to USD 2 per KG.
• Some Solar Energy Initiatives of India:
  
  • National Solar Mission (a part of National Action Plan on Climate Change): To establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its diffusion across the country as quickly as possible.
  • INDC’s target: It targets installing 100 GW grid-connected solar power plants by the year 2022.
    
    • This is in line with India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) target to achieve about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel based energy resources and to reduce the emission intensity of its GDP by 33 to 35% from 2005 level by 2030.
  • International Solar Alliance (ISA) and One Sun One World One Grid (OSOWOG):
  • Government Schemes: Such as Solar Park Scheme, Canal bank & Canal top Scheme, Bundling Scheme, Grid Connected Solar Rooftop Scheme etc.
  • First Green Hydrogen Mobility project: National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) Renewable Energy Ltd (REL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Union Territory of Ladakh to set up the country’s first Green Hydrogen Mobility project. Green hydrogen is produced by electrolysis of water using renewable energy (like Solar, Wind) and has a lower carbon footprint.

Source: PIB