At its first Assembly, the International Solar Alliance has provisionally approved the Work Plan 2019, and a $9-million budget for 2019 and 2020.
“The ISA has approved the Work Plan 2019 in its first meeting. Under the Work Plan, the ISA has given its nod for five projects. This includes a new project for e-mobility and storage. The assembly has also approved a budget of $9 million for calendar years 2019 and 2020,” Director-General of the International Solar Alliance Upendra Tripathy told BusinessLine .
“The five programme activities approved by the ISA under Work Plan 2019 are for agricultural pumps, finance mobilisation, mini grid, rooftop solar, and solar e-mobility and storage,” Tripathy said.
Presently 44 countries have signed and ratified the ISA framework agreement. This is out of the 68 countries that have signed the agreement.
Tripathy said that the ISA also approved two projects.
“The ISA has approved the STAR C (Solar Technology Application Resource Centre) project. The aim is to set up 121 centres, one in each presently eligible member-country. These centres are being supported by the Schneider foundation, Tata Foundation and the Phillips foundation,” he said.
“Each member-country will nominate five trainees every year to be trained at these centres. They will be called master trainers,” Tripathy added.