Toshiba eyes India's solar power corridor along border with Pakistan

Toshiba Lighting & Technology Corp., a subsidiary of Japanese engineering and electronics conglomerate Toshiba Corp., is seeking to win contracts to build PV plants in the solar power corridor planned by India’s government along the border with Pakistan. According to Bloomberg, Toshiba Lighting and Toshiba’s Indian units GreenStar Research and Development India Pvt. were already shortlisted in a border-lighting project.

In late August, Indian Prime Ministry Narenda Modi, a staunch supporter of solar energy, proposed the development of large-scale PV power plants on defense land along India’s borders. The 1 GW of grid-connected power plants would reportedly supply electricity mainly to the armed forces at a fixed price of 5.5 INR (9¢) per kWh under 25-year PPAs. The Indian armed forces are the largest consumers of diesel in India, and India is reportedly looking to deregulate diesel prices in the current financial year.

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has prepared a draft proposal based on the prime minister’s suggestion. Under the proposal, solar project developers would bid for the projects through a competitve bidding process and would be required to use locally produced PV equipment. The proposal is currently undergoing interministerial consultations.