India solar tender opens market for battery makers such as Tesla

New DelhI

INDIA plans for the first time to include energy storage as a requirement when a solar project is tendered this month, opening what could become a significant new market to battery makers such as Tesla Motors Inc, Samsung SDI Co and Panasonic Corp.

The state-owned Solar Energy Corp of India (SECI), which is responsible for implementing the government's green targets, will ask bidders to include a storage component in 100 megawatts of the 750 megawatts of solar capacity tendered in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, managing director Ashvini Kumar said in an interview.

The intention of the pilot programme is to reduce fluctuations in electricity supply in order to make possible the transfer of clean energy between states. India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, has set a goal of 175 gigawatts of…