Policy & Regulation
Tamil Nadu’s electric vehicle policy elicits praise from industrialists
EV related and charging infrastructure manufacturing units get 100% exemption on electricity tax till December 2025. Units that obtain land by sale or lease shall be entitled to 100% exemption on stamp duty for transactions till Dec 2022. Units that obtain land from SIPCOT, SIDCO or other government agencies will be provided a 15% subsidy on the cost, and will be provided 50% subsidy if the investments are in the southern districts.
Tenders
Rajasthan issues tender for 113.5MW of small-scale solar
The Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation (RRECL) has issued a competitive tender for 113.5MW of small grid-connected solar projects in the desert state. The group, a ‘nodal agency’ of the Indian government’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, is seeking developers to build, own and operate projects capable of producing between 0.5-2MW.
SECI extends 6 GW manufacturing tender deadline again
The Solar Energy Corporation of India has extended the deadline yet again for a procurement exercise originally intended to secure 5 GW of PV manufacturing capacity and 10 GW of generation assets 13 months ago. The deadline for bidding for 2 GW of production and 6 GW of generation capacity is now October 11.
SECI Extends Bid Submission Deadlines for 2 Solar Tenders
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), following up on its recent trend, has announced the extension in bid submission deadlines for two solar tenders, the 1,500 MW CPSU-II and the 275 MW Uttar Pradesh Solar Park.
UPNEDA Issues Tender For 60 MW Rooftop Solar Power Plants
UPNEDA calls for Rate contract Tender for the implementation of about 60 MW Grid Connected Rooftop Solar PV power plant under the CAPEX model. Last date of bid submission is 8th Oct 2019.
Projects
Site decided, Govt clears mega solar project in Leh and Kargil
THE DECKS have been cleared for Rs 50,000 crore grid-connected solar photo-voltaic project spread across Leh and Kargil districts — the single biggest investment proposal in the region since Ladakh was designated as a Union Territory
Bharathi Cement sets up 10 MW solar unit in Kadapa
Bharathi Cement has commissioned a 10 MW ground-mounted solar power plant in its manufacturing facility located at Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh. This is part of the cement company’s long-term plan to transition to Renewable Energy sources.
NLC India Commissions a 95 MW Solar Project, Exceeds 1 GW of Renewable Capacity
In a filing on the Bombay Stock Exchange, Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC India), a government-owned fossil-fuel mining and power generation company has announced that it has commissioned capacity of 95 MW out of a 109 MW solar project in Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu.
Tata Power arm commissions 150 MW solar capacity in Pokharan
Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL) has commissioned 150 MW solar capacity project at Pokharan in Rajasthan. With this, the overall operating renewable capacity of TPREL now stands at 2,628 MW in India
SECI to supply almost 1.3 GW of clean power through deals signed in the last four weeks
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has signed deals to supply almost 1.3 GW of renewable energy in just four weeks after yesterday signing a contract to sell 680 MW of clean power to Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Limited.
Financing
India to Spend $2b on Renewable Energy Parks
In a renewed push to cut dependence on fossil fuels, the Indian government wants state-run companies to build massive clean energy parks at a cost of around $2 billion each. The proposed ultra-mega renewable energy power parks (UMREPP) of 2,000 megawatts each will help developers achieve economies of scale and further bring down solar and wind power tariffs.
Other important news
India achieved solar power target 4 years ahead of schedule: DST Advisor
The target of installing 20 GW of solar power by 2022 was achieved four years ahead of schedule in January 2018, Adviser and Head of Climate Change Programme of the Department of Science and Technology, Dr Akhilesh Gupta said.
Hundreds of MW of floating PV set to come online in India
With developers facing land constraints, a huge pipeline of floating PV projects is currently in the early stages of development in India. While the outlook for solar on water in the fast-moving solar marketplace appears bright, there is much industry learning still to be had and a steep learning curve for component suppliers and developers alike.
India’s power surplus may exhaust in 2-3 years while meeting peak demand with limited RE
The current surplus in India’s power generation capacity may exhaust in 2-3 years if used to meet the evening peak in a situation where renewable energy generation if often limited, according to a study by think tank Brookings India. With a growth of nearly 10 Gigawatt (GW) in peak demand anticipated every year, perhaps more, the current capacity surplus as well as the planned installation of non-coal firm capacity might not be enough to meet the peak demand as early as 2021 or 2022.
Opinion | It’s time to look for permanent solutions to fix an ailing sector
In the last few months, fault lines have started developing in the renewable capacity development program of India with various issues coming to surface, including bids not getting fully subscribed, negotiations after transparent bidding process, and bidders’ discomfort with the ceiling tariffs in a bidding process. However, what seems to have become the last straw, is the state of Andhra Pradesh’s call for renegotiation of already concluded PPAs. Of course, an issue of major concern for international investors and for the Indian government’s ambitious renewable energy programme over the next decade.