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.
Tariff Caps are Slowing Down Solar Auction Activity
The solar market in India is extremely competitive. Reverse auctions have driven tariffs lower and lower, and developers are fighting for every penny to make a decent return on their ...
BESCOM Readies Blueprint to Set Up 678 EV Charging Stations in Karnataka
The Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) has drawn a plan for setting up 678 electric vehicles (EV) charging stations across the state of Karnataka. The proposed plan has 100 charging ...
MNRE Modifies Fee Structure for Compulsory Registration of Solar Cells and Modules
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has amended its regulation on compulsory registration of approved models and manufacturers of solar modules and cells in the country. Previously, if ...
Andhra Pradesh Announces Tender for 10 MW of Solar-Wind Hybrid Projects
The Andhra Pradesh Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO) has invited bids for 10 MW of grid-connected solar-wind hybrid power projects at Ramagiri, located in Anantipuramu district of Andhra Pradesh. The PPA ...
South Africa’s Kingdom of Eswatini Seeks Developers for 40 MW of Solar Projects
The Kingdom of Eswatini in southern Africa has issued a request for qualification (RfQ) for 40 MW of ground-mounted solar projects. The tender has been floated by the Eswatini Energy ...
Dubai Announces RFP for Consultants to Develop Floating Solar Projects
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has issued a request for proposal (RfP) for appointing consultants to study, develop, and construct floating solar photovoltaic projects in the Arabian Gulf ...
Newly Commissioned Solar Projects Drive Azure’s Revenue Up 26% to $41 Million in Q4 2019
Independent solar power producer Azure Power (NYSE: AZRE) has announced its consolidated financial results for the fourth quarter of the financial year (FY) ending March 31, 2019. The company generated ...
Uttar Pradesh Floats Expression of Interest for EV Charging Stations
The Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) has issued an expression of interest (EoI) to set up charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) in cities, highways, and expressways across ...
China’s Cumulative Installed Solar Capacity Stands at Nearly 180 GW: NEA
The National Energy Association’s (NEA) figures suggest that at the end of March 2019, China’s solar photovoltaic (PV) power generation reached 179.7 GW, an increase of 28% year-on-year, with the ...
Bihar’s New Tender Calls Developers to Set Up 250 MW of Solar Projects
The Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) has invited bids for setting up 250 MW of grid-connected ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the state. The tender document has indicated ...
Centre Advises Andhra Pradesh Government Against Revisiting Solar, Wind PPAs
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has written a letter to the chief secretary of the government of Andhra Pradesh LV Subramanyam, expressing its serious concerns over the ...
Maharashtra to Procure 500 MW of Wind Power at a Ceiling Tariff of ₹2.52/kWh
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has invited potential bidders for the procurement of 500 MW of wind power on a long-term basis for eight years. The RfS ...
Wheeling & Banking Agreement Mandatory to Receive Compensation for Solar Power Supplied
The Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has ruled against providing any relief to Amplus Power Solutions, the developer of a 34.3 MW solar power project in a solar park located ...
Government Seeks Proposals from States for 5,000 Electric Buses
The Department of Heavy Industries (DHI) under the Ministry of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises has invited expressions of interest from state transport departments for the deployment of 5,000 electric ...
NTPC Issues Tender Inviting Government Entities to Procure Power from 1 GW of Solar Projects
The National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has issued tender inviting government entities to procure power from 1 GW of solar projects. The projects have been tendered under the DCR ...
Kerala Electricity Board Cancels 200 MW Solar Tender
The Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL) has passed an order for the cancellation of a tender for 200 MW of ground-mounted solar power projects in Kerala. It has also ...
RK Singh Returns as the Union Power Minister Under PM Modi’s New Cabinet
Former IAS officer turned bureaucrat politician R.K. Singh has returned as the Union Minister of State (IC) for Power and New & Renewable Energy (MNRE) under team Modi 2.0. He ...
Maharashtra Tenders 1 GW of Solar with a Ceiling Tariff of ₹2.80/kWh
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), has issued a request for selection (RfS), calling for the purchase of power on a long-term basis from 1,000 MW of grid-connected ...
Uttar Pradesh Announces Two New Distributed Solar Project Tenders
While one tender would cover various primary schools in the villages of Uttar Pradesh, the other calls for projects at sites decided by Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development ...
Uttar Pradesh DISCOMs Ordered to Submit Roadmap for Solar and Non-Solar RPO Fulfilment
The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) has ordered its electricity distribution company to respond to its suo moto proceedings about meeting renewable purchase obligation (RPO) targets as per regulations ...
Madhya Pradesh Issues EoI to Set Up 500 MW of Energy Storage Project
The Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL) has issued an expression of interest (EoI) inviting energy storage companies for setting up a 500 MW project in Madhya Pradesh. Bidders ...
SECI’s 750 MW Rajasthan Solar Tender Oversubscribed by 350 MW
A 750 MW solar tender floated by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has been oversubscribed by 350 MW today. A SECI official confirmed the closing of bid submissions ...
SECI Extends Bid Submission Deadline for its 2 GW Solar Tender
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has extended its bid submission deadline for the selection of solar power developers for 2,000 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects in India ...
88 Solar Projects Likely to be Added to Vietnam’s National Grid by June 2019
State-owned Electricity of Vietnam (EVN) has been accelerating the completion of 61 solar power projects so that by the end of June 2019, a total of 88 solar power projects can ...
Farmers in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha Region to Soon Get Solar Pumps
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has initiated the supply of solar pumps to farmers in the state’s Vidarbha region under the Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Pump Yojana (MSKY) ...
