The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has invited proposals for concentrating solar thermal (CST) technology for Indian industries under the Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development (RE-RTD) Programme. The initiative aims to increase the use of CST technology for industrial heating, adopt green heat, and promote solar thermal systems integrated with thermal energy storage for clean and reliable process heating. The deadline for receipt of proposals is October 7, 2026.
The programme will focus on identifying commercially viable and scalable solar thermal solutions that can be integrated with existing industrial processes. It will support pilot and demonstration projects to test the technical and economic feasibility of these systems, along with their ability to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Furthermore, the proposed technologies include parabolic trough, linear Fresnel, parabolic dish, power tower, solar PV coupled with heat pumps, and CST systems with thermal energy storage. The projects will cover industrial applications across different temperature ranges. MNRE will provide partial capital expenditure support of up to 50 per cent and oversee the selection and monitoring of projects.
