The NTPC Ltd has secure solar projects in 47 of least developed and small island developing member countries of International Solar Alliance (ISA) to be appointed the nodal agency for implementing India’ global electricity grid plan, the ISA’ first World Solar Technology Summit, to be held in the national capital on Tuesday, is expected to see some significant announcements, said two people aware of the development. This comes in the backdrop of China’s attempt to co-opt countries into its ambitious One Belt One Road initiative. The other marquee partnerships expected to be inked on Tuesday include the one between the Seoul headquartered Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the ISA for providing technical assistance in deploying one million solar irrigation pumps. The who is who of the global solar landscape is expected to attend the Summit hosted by the first treaty-based international government organization headquartered here, that has become an important foreign policy tool. To start with, this support for solar pumps will be provided to Uganda, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Senegal, Mozambique, Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga and Kiribati and may be extended to other ISA member countries.

The development assumes significance given that the ISA has achieved global disruption by bringing down the cost of solar-powered agricultural pumps by half, livemint reported. India’s state-run Energy Efficiency Services Ltd conducted the most extensive global price discovery exercise by aggregating the demand from 22 ISA member nations, in a potential order valued at $2.7 billion.