Author Archives: Soumik Dutta
About Soumik Dutta
Soumik is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, Soumik was a correspondent for UNI, New Delhi covering the Northeast region for seven years. He has also worked as an Asia Correspondent for Washington DC-based Hundred Reporters. He has contributed as a freelancer to several national and international digital publications with a focus on data-based investigative stories on environmental corruption, hydro power projects, energy transition and the circular economy. Soumik is an Economics graduate from Scottish Church College, Calcutta University.
Sprng Energy Commissions 250 MW of Solar Projects at Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa Solar Park
Sprng Energy Private Limited, the renewable energy platform of Actis Private Equity Funds, has announced the commissioning of its first renewable energy project in India. The 250 MW solar project ...
Rajasthan Invites Domestic Manufacturers to Supply 4,50,000 Chip Solar Cells
The Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL) has issued a notice inviting tenders for the supply of chip solar cells of 2.87 Watt capacity from domestic manufacturers. The last date ...
Panasonic Launches EV Charging Service in Delhi-NCR
Japanese electronics giant Panasonic has launched Nymbus, a smart EV charging service in Delhi-NCR region in partnership with electric mobility service providers Smart E and qQuick. In the first phase ...
Deadline for SECI’s 97.5 MW Rooftop Solar Tender Extended Again
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has announced another bid extension date for its 97.5 MW grid-connected rooftop solar tender. The bid deadline has now been extended to May ...
Telangana Extends Bid Submission Deadline for its 31 MW Solar Rooftop Tender
The Telangana State Renewable Energy Development Corporation (TSREDCO) has extended the bid submission date of a tender it had issued on March 3, 2019, for a 31.12 MW grid-connected rooftop ...
Relaxing Day-Ahead Scheduling for Co-Located Captive Power Projects Untenable: BERC
The Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) has upheld the provisions of its regulations on the banking of power from fossil fuel and renewable energy-based captive generating projects. The BERC heard ...
Old Off-Grid Solar Projects Could Soon Be Grid-Connected
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has received requests from state nodal agencies and implementing agencies for connecting old off-grid solar projects sanctioned under MNRE’s program to the ...
Indian Oil Floats EPC Tender for Two Captive Rooftop Solar Projects in Uttar Pradesh
Oil major Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has floated a tender for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of two grid-connected rooftop captive solar power projects at Uttar Pradesh. The ...
PGCIL Proposes Blueprint for Solar and Wind Power Evacuation from Western Region
The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) has come up with a detailed proposal for establishing a transmission system for the evacuation of power from potential solar and wind ...
Solar, Wind Can Achieve Renewable Targets Without Damming the World’s Rivers: WWF Study
A study conducted by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and its partners demonstrates how with thousands of hydropower dams planned across the world, the ongoing renewable energy revolution can solve ...
Power Grid Corporation Helps Restore Power Supply in Cyclone-Ravaged Odisha
After the fury of cyclone Fani subsided, the power supply and infrastructure in Odisha were in total disarray. Reportedly the strongest cyclone to have hit any Indian state in the ...
Tata Power DISCOM Issues Tender for 100 MW of Non-Solar Power to Meet its RPO
Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) has issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) for the procurement of renewable power (non-solar) on a short-term power purchase agreement. The last date for ...
In Brief: Solar EPC Tender for 250 kW of Projects in Thrissur, SITRA’s 100 kW Rooftop Tender
There were two interesting small solar tenders one from a government agency and the other from an industry association that was issued this week. These tenders display a variety of ...
Egypt Set to Open its Renewable Energy Market to Private Producers
The government of Egypt is in the process of finalizing regulations about the production and sale of electricity from new private renewable power projects directly to consumers by September 2019 ...
SECI’s 3 GW Solar Tender Linked with 1.5 GW Manufacturing Gets Fourth Bid Extension
The deadline for the manufacturing linked solar tender floated by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has once again been extended for bidder participation. This is the fourth time ...
Tata Power and MGL to Collaborate on Solar Rooftop and EV Charging Stations
To offer integrated customer services, explore the e-mobility segment and other value-added services of mutual interest, Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL), one of India's leading gas distribution companies has signed a ...
Kerala Floats EPC Tender for 121 kW of Rooftop Solar Projects in Thiruvananthapuram
The Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) has invited interested domestic bidders for the appointment of an EPC contractor for the design, erection, testing, and commissioning of grid-connected rooftop solar ...
A Snapshot of Three Small Solar Tenders Issued This Week
The week began with a spate of solar tenders issued by various agencies. Here are three important smaller ancillary tenders that were issued: The Karnataka Solar Power Development Corporation Limited( ...
Panasonic Sells 90% Stake in its Malaysia Manufacturing Unit to GS Solar
Panasonic Corporation, a company developing diverse electronic technologies and solutions, has announced that it has reached a collaboration and acquisition agreement with GS-Solar (China) Company Limited, a thin film solar ...
MNRE Clarifies Import Conditions for Lead-Acid Batteries Used in Solar Projects
In its latest notification, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued guidelines for the import of secondary cells and batteries of lead-acid and nickel-based chemistries that are ...
Solar Installations in the United States Hit 2 Million Mark: Report
Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and energy research firm Wood Mackenzie have pegged the United State’s total solar installations at more than 2 million. The report added that the electricity ...
Rajasthan Commission Clarifies Who is a Captive Power Producer
In its latest order, the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC) has clarified the definition of a captive power producer (CPP). The commission was hearing a petition filed by Tesco Energy ...
Ather Energy’s Electric Scooter Becomes FAME-II Compliant
Ather Energy, backed by Hero MotoCorp, has announced that their flagship intelligent scooter, Ather 450 is now FAME II compliant and will receive an increased subsidy of ₹27,000 ($386.9). Though the orders for ...
CERC Directs NTPC to Return Bank Guarantees of Three Developers in Bhadla Solar Park
The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has ruled in favor of three independent power producers (IPPs) regarding the payment of their performance bank guarantee (PBG) to the tune of ₹255 ...
Orient Green Power to Divest 57% Shares in its Biomass Subsidiaries
Orient Green Power Company Limited (OGPL) has decided to disinvest its entire holding of 918,954 equity shares, aggregating 57.92%, held in Sanjog Sugars and Eco-Power (Biomass subsidiary) in favor of ...
