There was not a single solar auction conducted in the month of April 2019. This is a new low for the domestic sector, but the inactivity is due to the ongoing general elections in the country.

On the other hand, in April 2019, 799 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity was tendered, according to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker.

Compared to March 2019, in which 5.3 GW of solar capacity had been tendered, and 750 MW of solar projects were auctioned, April was a bust.

The solar tender and auction activity in April 2019 was also lower when compared year-over-year to April 2018 (which was a low month in 2018 as well) in which approximately 1.3 GW of new solar projects were tendered, over 1.6 GW of solar PV capacity was retendered, and 40 MW of solar auctioned.

Mercom had previously reported that the Indian solar industry seems to be progressing at a sluggish pace in the light of the Lok Sabha elections of 2019.

There were several engineering procurement construction (EPC) tenders announced in April 2019.

Major Tenders

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) issued a Request for Selection (RfS) for 500 MW (Phase I) of grid-connected solar PV projects in Tamil Nadu on Build Own Operate (B-O-O) basis. Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited (TANGEDCO) will buy power from the above project.

SECI will enter into a power purchase agreement with the successful solar project developers for 25 years. It has set the upper ceiling tariff at ₹2.85 (~$0.041)/kWh.

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) issued a tender for the installation of 3 MW of solar PV power projects at its Kahalgaon unit, located in Bhagalpur district of Bihar. The projects will be developed on a turnkey basis.

The Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), a public-sector enterprise operating in the electronics, information technology, and renewable energy segment, issued a tender to set up 1.7 MW of solar PV projects with battery energy storage system (BESS) in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The NTPC also issued a tender for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of a 10 MW solar PV project that is under operation at its Unchahar plant in Uttar Pradesh.

Click here more information on Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker.