The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has 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 tariff is inclusive of all statutory taxes, duties, levies, and cess applicable as on the last date of bid submission.

Mercom spoke to SECI official who commented, “The upper tariff ceiling of ₹2.85 ($0.041)/kWh was recommended by the TANGEDCO. If you see our previous ceiling tariff in last two years, we have never gone above ₹2.93 ($0.042)/kWh.”

Recently,  SECI has issued another RfS for 750 MW (Tranche-II) of grid-connected solar PV projects in Rajasthan with ₹2.68 (~$0.039)/kWh as upper ceiling tariff.

The solar project will be developed in multiples of 10 MW. The projects can be located anywhere in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The solar project developer (SPD) will have to show the possession of 100% of the land identified for the project within 12 months from the date of the power purchase agreement (PPA). SPD should have a minimum area of 1.5 ha/MW for the project capacity it is bidding. (ha = hectares)

The maximum time allowed for commissioning of the full project capacity will be 24 months from the date of the PPA.

Recently, Mercom has reported that SECI has issued a tender for utilization of water bodies (reservoirs, dams, lakes) in Tamil Nadu for development of 250 MW floating solar PV capacity.

Last month, the state-owned Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) India has commissioned 200 MW of grid-connected solar projects in the state of Tamil Nadu. The commissioned capacity was part of the 500 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects currently under implementation in Tamil Nadu. NLC had commissioned 300 MW in May 2018.

According to Mercom India’s Solar Project Tracker, Tamil Nadu has an installed capacity of approximately 2 GW solar PV. The state has 1.6 GW of solar PV projects under development.