Aiding India's shift towards green energy
India and Taiwan are forging a strategic partnership in the realm of solar wafer production and energy storage, a move that could significantly bolster India's renewable energy goals. This collaboration, though still in its early stages, is focusing on technology access and supply chain alignment.
India aims to install 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, a target that requires a substantial increase in solar capacity. However, the country is currently dependent on imported solar components, with a majority sourced from China. Taiwanese suppliers, renowned for their high-efficiency solar wafers and precision manufacturing, can help fill this gap.
Taiwan brings strong semiconductor and technology capabilities to the table. India is actively building semiconductor fabs and assembly facilities, receiving foreign investments and partnerships, including with East Asian players. This semiconductor expertise can be crucial for advanced solar wafer production and next-generation energy storage technologies.
One of the most promising collaborations is the partnership between Powerchip Semiconductor and Tata to build a semiconductor fab in Gujarat. This project is underway and could pave the way for further cooperation in solar manufacturing.
Academic institutions from both Taiwan and India could also collaborate on research in solar efficiency and energy storage. Joint clean-energy projects in other parts of Asia and Africa could reinforce the climate leadership of both nations.
The India-Taiwan cooperation framework is seen as a strategic move to create alternatives to reliance on Chinese supply chains in clean energy technologies. This includes potential partnerships in advanced materials for solar wafers and energy storage solutions.
For India, this collaboration can help accelerate localized production of high-efficiency solar wafers and advanced energy storage systems, key for scaling solar PV deployment and stabilizing renewable grids. It can also reduce dependency on China and build resilient supply chains, safeguarding India’s renewable energy progress against geopolitical risks.
Leveraging Taiwan’s semiconductor and tech expertise allows India to improve the quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of solar and energy storage devices, supporting the national target to increase renewable capacity to over 500GW by 2030.
While there is no specific announcement yet of joint Taiwan-India solar wafer production projects, the groundwork is being laid through strategic dialogues, government incentives, and private sector exploration. Taiwan’s mature semiconductor sector combined with India’s scaling manufacturing investments signals a promising cooperative trajectory, potentially speeding India’s net-zero transition by enhancing local production capabilities and innovation.
Sutandra Singha, an independent researcher with a doctorate in international studies, specializing in climate change, from Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, emphasizes the importance of this collaboration. "Energy security is a central concern for both Taiwan and India," he says. "By working together, we can not only reduce our dependence on imported components but also improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of our renewable energy technologies."
India's recent launch of a Production-Linked Incentive scheme to boost domestic manufacturing of solar modules further underscores the nation's commitment to this partnership. As this collaboration evolves, it promises to bring mutual benefits, enhancing the energy independence of both nations and contributing to a cleaner, more sustainable future.
- This collaboration between India and Taiwan, focusing on technology access and supply chain alignment, has the potential to significantly boost India's renewable energy goals, especially in the realm of solar energy.
- To achieve its target of installing 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030, India needs a substantial increase in solar capacity, currently hampered by its dependency on imported solar components, mainly from China.
- Taiwanese suppliers, recognized for their high-efficiency solar wafers and precision manufacturing, could help fill this gap, given their strong semiconductor and technology capabilities.
- One promising collaboration is the partnership between Powerchip Semiconductor and Tata to build a semiconductor fab in Gujarat, which could pave the way for further cooperation in solar manufacturing.
- Academic institutions from both Taiwan and India could collaborate on research in solar efficiency and energy storage, potentially reinforcing the climate leadership of both nations and leading to joint clean-energy projects in other parts of Asia and Africa.
- By working together, India and Taiwan can improve the quality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of solar and energy storage devices, support sustainable living, and reduce dependency on China, thereby securing their renewable energy progress against geopolitical risks.
