Following UK-based private equity investor Actis dropping the purchase plan, debt-laden Essel Infraprojects is reportedly negotiating the deal with Adani Group for Rs 1,800-2,000 crore.

India’s Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) has invited bids from domestic and international players for setting up of small grid-interactive solar plants ranging from 500 KW to 2 MW at lands of state-owned utilities. The cumulative capacity, to be installed in turnkey mode, is 40 MW for Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh each and 20 MW for Jharkhand. The state-run energy service company is also mulling to install an aggregate 200 MW of grid-connected solar rooftop across 5,000 state-owned buildings in Maharashtra.

Bidders can now lodge their interest until July 1 and are required to submit any amendments, signed and stamped, along with the bid.

The state-owned engineering major will set up a floating solar plant at NTPC Ramagundam in Telangana and a ground-mounted plant at Raghanesda Ultra Mega Solar Park in Gujarat, with a capacity of 100 MW each.

The Irrigation Department of Uttarakhand, in Dehradun, has re-tendered a 27 MW solar project at the Haripura Dam and a 13 MW installation at the Tumariya Dam in the Udham Singh Nagar district. The project will now be awarded through tariff-based competitive bidding.

The power minister’s proposal would be a step in the right direction towards meeting the 40 GW rooftop solar target, as it removes a financing hurdle for small and medium enterprises.

SECI’s 1.2 GW solar auction saw four companies – Ayana Renewable, ReNew Power, Azure Power and Mahindra Susten – secure a combined capacity of 1.15 GW at Rs2.54/kWh. Avaada Energy won the remaining 50 MW, at Rs2.55.

Solar trees—like the ones at The National Salt Satyagraha Memorial in Gujarat—are set to make their way into the residential complexes of central government employees as the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) looks to harness solar energy to the maximum extent possible.

Starting its journey as a department within Mahindra Group’s solar EPC company Mahindra Susten, the newly formed comprehensive asset care company for renewable energy customers aims to reach a 20 GWp global portfolio by 2022 from 4 GWp currently.

State-owned Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL) has invited domestic and global players for providing grid-scale energy storage services of up to 500 MW with 8 hours of daily discharge and setting up a storage manufacturing facility in the state. The deadline for proposal submission is August 2.