CFPs: Innovation Challenge for Circularity in Renewable Energy Technologies – Batteries and Solar Photovoltaic (India)

Aims

• The challenge aims to promote and scale up research and development (R&D) of circular economy approaches in the battery and solar sector.

Objectives

• The innovation challenge will help improve process and resource efficiency for solar and batteries and promote circularity in their value chains. This shall also unlock new employment and investment opportunities.

Themes

• To achieve this, the circularity innovation challenge specifically focuses on identifying innovations which are efficient, reliable and scalable in the following three themes:
  • Theme 1: Design and manufacturing innovations that help promote design and manufacturing for circularity for easy dismantling and waste segregation, resource efficiency, alternative materials, chemicals and technology for manufacturing, manufacturing products from recycled materials, and related aspects.
  • Theme 2: Second-life use and recycling innovations that promote reuse, repair, refurbishment, re-manufacturing, recycling, and recovery of materials from waste solar panels and batteries.
  • Theme 3: Operational management innovations that help deployed solar and battery systems achieve optimal life. This can be achieved through efficient monitoring of modules and batteries via enabling predictive maintenance, digitization of supply chain, digital labelling of solar and battery systems providing information on their material composition, installation, handling and storage guidelines, recycling approaches, etc.

Funding Information

• Winners of the innovation challenge shall receive funding based on the innovation category, proposed cost and category based on TRLs that they fall under. The distribution has been detailed out:
  • Maximum financial support for each winner:
    • Proof of concept: Up to INR 10 lakh or 50% of the total project cost (whichever is lower)
    • Potential: Up to INR 30 lakh or 50% of the total project cost (whichever is lower)
    • Proven: Up to INR 2 crore or 50% of the total project cost (whichever is lower)
  • Financial support for each category:
    • Proof of concept: INR 50 lakh
    • Potential: INR 1.5 crore
    • Proven: INR 8 crore

Usage of the Fund

• Utilisation of this financial support shall be used only for purpose of:
  • Upgrading of TRLs for proof of concept and potential innovations category of the challenge
  • Pilot implementation and demonstration for proven innovations category of the challenge

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicant technologies must be wholly based in India. This will include the siting of the product team and/or company, the siting of the product development and testing facilities, the securing of relevant certifications and approvals, and the complying of market entry regulations.
• Eligible participants as per the RE-RTD guidelines issued by MNRE vide Order No. 223/90/2017-R&D on 09.12.2021.
• Any person(s) whose participation is restricted by relevant laws of the Indian government or relevant legislations, regulations, and other government is/are not eligible to apply.
• Technologies must fall under one or more of the themes of the Challenge:
  • Design & manufacturing innovation
  • Second-life use and recycling innovation
  • Operational management innovation

For more information, visit MNRE.