The state run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) received bids worth 2,170 MW for solar power projects to be developed under Phase II, Batch I of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).

The capacity of received bids is almost triple the amount of 750 MW for which the bids were invited from interested project developers. Tarun Kapoor, joint secretary at the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), said that SECI received 58 bids for 2,170 MW in the first national auction of solar photovoltaic (PV) licenses that took place in the country in two years.

A total of 36 projects totalling 750 MW have been bid under the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) clause, while the remaining 86 projects with a capacity of 1,470 MW have gone for open bids category.

A maximum capacity of 100 MW could be allotted to a project developer, however, a number of big players have bid for capacities more than that. Azure Power and ACME have bid for projects worth 200 MW each, Welspun has bid for 160 MW, IL&FS for 150 MW and SunEdison for 150 MW. ReNew Power and Essel Infra Projects have applied for projects worth 100 MW each.

The technical bids will decide the qualifications of the companies to set up solar power plants. Rajendra Nimje, MD of SECI informed the media that after finishing the initial evaluation the financial bid would open in a month’s time.

Source: EnergyNext