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					</table><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/industry-hails-battery-energy-storage-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The recently announced Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) has been welcomed by industry stakeholders for its potential impact on system cost, demand, and</a> manufacturing in the country. In September 2023, the Union Cabinet approved the VGF program, allocating an initial sum of ₹94 billion ($1.1 billion), with ₹37.6 billion ($452 million) designated as budgetary assistance to facilitate 4 GWh of BESS projects by 2030-31.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/supreme-court-ownership-consumption-captive-power-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In a recent ruling, the Supreme Court of India reaffirmed that a user who owns 26% of a captive power-generating project and utilizes 51% of its electricity could be classified as a captive user.</a> It also held that if a group of individuals constitutes the captive users, they must collectively possess a minimum ownership stake of 26% in the project and jointly consume at least 51% of the electricity generated annually. The Court noted that the ownership threshold of 26% must be maintained consistently throughout the calendar year.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/railways-tender-1-mw-rooftop-chhattisgarh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raipur Division of South East Central Railway in Chhattisgarh has invited bids for state-wise empanelment of agencies to implement grid-connected rooftop solar power projects of 1.165 MW</a> capacity at its yards and workshops through public-private partnership and on a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer basis. The projects would be developed in two capacity ranges— more than 10 kW and up to 100 kW, and more than 100 kW and up to 500 kW. Bidders can quote for one or both capacities.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ujvnl-invites-solar-project-in-dehradun" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam, a state government enterprise, has invited bids for setting up a 2.5 MW canal bank grid-connected solar power project on the Yamuna Power Channel in</a> Dakpathar district, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, on a build, own, operate, and transfer basis. The last date for the submission of bids is November 6, 2023. Bids will be opened the next day. Bidders have to submit ₹5,000 (~$60) as the cost of the tender and ₹75,000 (~$901) as a bid processing fee, along with 18% GST.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/cerc-allows-fortnightly-trading-rec" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has directed the Grid Controller of India (Grid-India) to organize two Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) trading sessions every month– the second</a> and last Wednesday of each month– for the upcoming six months, starting from October. The Commission clarified energy sold by renewable energy generators registered under the REC mechanism in conventional market contracts at power exchanges is eligible for the issuance of RECs.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/pspcl-floats-tender-power-from-ists-connected-projects" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Punjab State Power Corporation has floated a tender to procure 1 GW of solar power from interstate transmission system-connected projects.</a> This will be followed by an e-reverse auction for projects with a capacity of 50 MW or more located anywhere in India. The last date for submission of bids is October 31, 2023. Bids will be opened on November 2. Bidders have to pay ₹25,000 (~$300) plus 18% GST as the cost of the tender and a processing fee of ₹300,000 (~$3,604) plus 18% GST.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/sjvn-green-120-mw-solar-projects-assam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SJVN Green Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SJVN, has invited bids to commission two grid-connected solar power projects with a combined capacity of 120 MW for Assam Power Distribution</a> Company.The projects include a 70 MW project in Dhubri and a 50 MW project in Sonepur in Assam. The selected developers must oversee the projects’ operation and maintenance for three years. The last day to submit the bids is November 3, 2023. Bids will be opened the same day.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/union-cabinet-approves-royalty-critical-minerals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Union Cabinet has approved the amendment to the Second Schedule of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, setting reduced royalty rates for three critical and strategic minerals – lithium, niobium, and Rare Earth Elements (REEs)</a> – used in the energy transition technologies. The development paves the way for the inaugural auction of these mineral blocks with loyalty rates reduced by the Ministry of Mines from an elevated default rate of 12% of average selling (ASP) to 3% of the London Metal Exchange price for lithium, 3% of ASP (primary and secondary sources) for niobium, and 1% of ASP for rare earth oxide.

Daily News Wrap-Up: Industry Hails Viability Gap Funding for Battery Storage Projects

The Irrigation and Water Resource Department (IWRD) in the state of Uttar Pradesh has issued a tender for the development of 100 MW of grid-connected canal top solar photovoltaic (PV) projects under public private partnership (PPP) model.
The bid-submission deadline is June 19, 2018.
This is an engineering procurement construction (EPC) tender and the scope of work includes the installation, commissioning, grid synchronization, operation, and maintenance of the grid-connected canal top solar PV projects.
Out of the tendered capacity, 50 MW of canal top solar PV projects will be developed on Narainpur Pump Canal, located in the district of Mirzapur, another 30 MW on Augasi Pump Canal, in Banda district, and 20 MW on Lower Ganga Canal (LGC) and Parallel lower Ganga canal (PLGC), which lie in Uttar Pradesh’s Bulandsahar district.
By <a href="https://mercomindia.com/24-mw-solar-installed-canal-bank-canal-top-program/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 10, 2017</a>, solar canal bank and canal top projects aggregating 24 MW had been commissioned in India.
The canal bank and canal top solar project program was launched in financial year 2014-15. Under this program, solar projects have been commissioned in eight different states (50 MW – canal banks and 50 MW – canal tops), including Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Project capacities range from a minimum of 1 MW to a maximum of 10 MW.
The <a href="http://mnre.gov.in" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a> is providing a subsidy of ₹30 million (~$0.45 million)/MW of installed capacity for canal bank projects and a subsidy of ₹1.5 million (~$0.22 million)/MW of installed capacity for canal top projects.
Image credit: Flickr

Uttar Pradesh Issues Tender for Development of 100 MW of Canal Top Solar PV Projects

So far, solar canal bank and canal top projects aggregating 24 MW have been commissioned in India. These projects are part of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy&#8217;s (MNRE’s) program to develop 100 MW of grid-connected solar PV power projects on canal banks and canal tops throughout the country. Under the program, projects aggregating another 50 MW are expected to be commissioned by April 2017.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Top_Programa.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5071" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Top_Programa.png" alt="" width="462" height="251" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Top_Programa.png 462w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Top_Programa-300x163.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 462px) 100vw, 462px" /></a>
The canal bank and canal top solar project program was launched in financial year 2014-15. Under this program, solar projects are under development in eight different states (50 MW – Canal Banks and 50 MW – Canal Tops), including Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Project capacities range from a minimum of 1 MW to a maximum of 10 MW.
The MNRE is providing a subsidy of Rs.30 million (~$0.45 million)/MW of installed capacity for canal bank projects and a subsidy of Rs.1.5 million (~$0.22 million)/MW of installed capacity for canal top projects.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Bank_Programb.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-5072" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Bank_Programb.png" alt="" width="401" height="195" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Bank_Programb.png 401w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/50_MW_Solar_Projects_Under_Canal_Bank_Programb-300x146.png 300w" sizes="(max-width: 401px) 100vw, 401px" /></a>
The second phase of the canal bank and canal top solar project programs will be launched in 2018, stated a Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) official. Certain issues need to be resolved in Karnataka, where a 10 MW canal top project is to be constructed, added the SECI official.
The SECI official also said, “In Punjab there were technical issues, but the state is on track to commission the remaining 15 MW.”
To date, central financial assistance of Rs.304.164 million (~$4.55 million) has been released by SECI under this program. The MNRE had allocated Rs.690 million (~$10.33 million) as central finance assistance to be provided under the canal bank and canal top solar project program.
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24 MW of Solar Installed Under the Canal Bank and Canal Top Program

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