IGEF Subgroup II meeting on "Renewable Energies"

The Indo-German Energy Forum Subgroup II meeting on Renewable Energies was held on the 20th June, 2018 at the Intersolar Europe in Munich. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Martin Schöpe, Head of Division International Energy Cooperation, German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), Government of Germany and Shri. G. K. Gupta, Joint Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. The meeting was attended by participants comprising different stakeholders like Central Government Ministries, public institutions as well as industry associations from Germany and India.

Mr. G.K. Gupta welcomed the participants and outlined his appreciation for the long cooperation between India and Germany in the field of energy. He emphasized on India’s ambitious renewable energy capacity target of 175 GW by 2022 and outlined that the target will ensure greater energy security and improved action on climate change. He reported on the most recent energy sector developments in India like the facilitation for procurement of solar and wind power through the tariff-based competitive bidding process, which has led to significant reduction in cost of solar and wind power.

Dr. Martin Schöpe in his welcome remarks highlighted that Solar, Wind and Financing shall remain priority issues of interest for the German and the Indian Government. He reported about Germany’s energy transition, the so called „Energiewende“ and about the new government’s stand on renewable energy. The introduction of auctions, which have brought prices down drastically, facilitates the expansion of renewables in Germany. He continued by pointing out that the expansion of the existing grid to transport electricity from renewable energy from northern Germany to the South is one of the main challenges for the new federal government.

Further inputs were  given by Mr. Jatindra Nath Swain, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and Dr. Arun K. Tripathi, National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE). Mr. Tobias Winter, Director IGEF-SO, presented the ongoing and completed activities under priority issue Solar and Wind Energy consisting of ongoing cooperation projects implemented or initiated by IGEF. Dr. Jürgen Welschof from KfW Development Bank gave his remarks on the financial cooperation, Mr. Jörg Gäbler, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) gave an overview on ongoing cooperation under the Indo-German Solar Partnership.

IN