The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) will soon tender 1,500 MW of solar to meet its renewable purchase obligation (RPO).

“The TANGEDCO will soon bring out a 1,500 MW solar tender. We have filed a petition with the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) to set Rs.4 (~$0.062)/kWh as upper price limit for this tender,” stated a TANGEDCO official.

A TNERC official confirmed receipt of the petition to make Rs.4 (~$0.062)/kWh the upper price limit for the proposed 1,500 MW tender by TANGEDCO. The TNERC official chose not to comment on acceptability of the upper price limit by developers.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, in the last 500 MW tender, TANGEDCO had reduced the upper limit for tariffs to Rs.4.50 (~$0.067)/kWh.

When asked whether this will be a replacement tender to the two previous tenders of 500 MW, the TANGEDCO official clarified that this will be a separate tender; the TANGEDCO is trying to push through all three tenders amounting to 2,500 MW.

Mercom previously reported, that after a tepid response to the first 500 MW tender, technical bids aggregating 300 MW were received for the second 500 MW tender by TANGEDCO.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, Tamil Nadu has 1.6 GW of installed solar capacity and the TNERC has set the RPO at 5 percent for FY2017-18.