Utility-scale PV

November 18 is the last date for interested bidders who are allowed to use cells and modules of any origin in the plant, which can be located anywhere in India. The projects are to be set up on develop-build-demonstrate-transfer basis.

Mundra Solar Energy will undertake installation and commissioning of solar projects. Kurmitar Iron Ore Mining, on the other hand, will carry out mining activities in the state of Chhattisgarh.

The ISTS connected projects—to be developed on ‘build-own-operate’ basis—can be set up anywhere in India for round-the-clock power supply to New Delhi Municipal Council and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. December 3 is the last date for bidding.

The latest blow in the political battle between clean energy project developers and an anti-renewables state government has seen the electricity regulator order power distribution companies to honor PPAs signed after a public tender.

Continuing delays in payments from utilities, regulatory uncertainty on tariff matters and tight financing have hit the industry hard.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has suggested minimum 25-year power purchase agreements and also opened up the option of including energy storage in solar-wind hybrid generation projects procured under its public tender regime.

Solar generation capacity aggregating to 7 GW—as against 6 GW earlier—will now be awarded against setting up of 2 GW of annual manufacturing capacity. Tariff ceiling has also been increased to Rs2.93/kWh, from Rs2.75, for a period of 25 years. Bids can be submitted till October 31.

“The CRISIL report is neither factually correct nor takes into account initiatives taken by the MNRE to facilitate accelerated development and deployment of renewable energy in the country. India will not only meet 175 GW target but exceed it by 2022”—stated the ministry.

This year will see strong growth for the global PV market, to 114 GW, and that pattern will continue in the years ahead, according to analyst Wood Mackenzie. A report has highlighted soaring inverter replacement costs for PV project owners as a side-effect of the solar success story.

Plant load factor for thermal power generators ramped up to 70-80% between July 2019 till date while solar power projects were arbitrarily backed down by more than 60-70% of their operational capacity during the same period.