Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued the Draft Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Connectivity and General Network Access to the inter-State Transmission System) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2024. If an application for Connectivity or General Network Access (GNA) is withdrawn before the in-principle grant of connectivity (per Regulation 7) or GNA (per Regulation 22), the Nodal Agency will handle it as follows: (a) 50% of the application fee will be forfeited (b) The remaining 50% of the application fee and any bank guarantee (BG) submitted will be refunded within 15 days of the withdrawal.

Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam has invited bids to purchase power from 500 MW of grid-connected solar power projects (Phase XXV) to be set up anywhere in India, with a greenshoe option of an additional 500 MW. The tender allows for new projects and those in the development stage or already operational across India. The last day to submit the bids is September 17, 2024. Bids will be opened on September 20. Bidders should submit ₹25,000 (~$298) as the cost of the tender document and ₹300,000 (~$3577) as the processing fee. Bidders must also furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹928,000 (~$11,065)/MW. The selected developers must submit a performance bank guarantee of ₹2.32 million (~$27,663)/MW after the letter of award is issued and before the power purchase agreement is signed.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India has invited proposals to identify an executing agency to set up Green Hydrogen Hubs under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. The last date to submit proposals is October 7, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day. Bidders must pay ₹59,000 (~$703.20) as a tender fee. The tender seeks to identify and develop regions capable of supporting large-scale production and/or utilization of hydrogen as Green Hydrogen Hubs, developing green hydrogen projects inside the hubs, improving cost competitiveness, maximizing production, large-scale utilization, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) has issued a request for selection to set up pilot projects of 300 MW/ 600 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems in Maharashtra under tariff-based global competitive bidding. The last date for submission of bids is August 26, 2024. Bidders must pay a document fee of ₹29,500 (~$351.52). They must also furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹0.74 million (~$8,818) per MW. Bidders selected by MSEDCL will also have to submit a performance bank guarantee for a value of ₹1.85 million (~$22,042)/MW. The scope of work includes setting up a 600 MWh (300MW x 2 hrs) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), with the primary objective of making the energy storage facility available to MSEDCL for charging/discharging the BESS on an “on-demand” basis.

Norway-based independent power producer Scatec reported revenues of NOK1.5 billion (~$141 million), an increase of 38% year-over-year, in the second quarter of 2024. The increase in revenue was driven by new plants starting operations in South Africa, Brazil, and Pakistan, as well as the recognition of reserve market revenues in the Philippines. The company’s power plants generated 995 GWh during the quarter, up from 873 GWh in the same period last year. The company’s EBITDA for the quarter stood at NOK951 million (~$89.4 million), with the power production segment achieving an EBITDA of NOK873 million (~$82.1 million), a 38% YoY increase when adjusted for divestments.

The American Alliance for Solar Manufacturing Trade Committee, represented by Wiley Rein, has filed critical circumstances allegations with the U.S. Department of Commerce, targeting the surge in solar imports from Vietnam and Thailand, claiming it has reportedly harmed the domestic solar sector. The Trade Committee’s allegations hinge on a marked increase in solar imports from these countries. Between April 2024 and June 2024, imports from Vietnam surged by 39%, while those from Thailand increased by 17%, compared to the period from January 2024 through March 2024. In June 2024, Vietnam’s monthly imports reached a record high of over 2.5 GW, with an average of about 2.3 GW per month from April to June, up from less than 1.5 GW per month in the previous six months.