Daily News Wrap-Up: SJVN Green’s Tender for 100 MW Solar Project in Rajasthan

State distribution companies owed power generators ₹778.57 billion in March 2024

April 8, 2024

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SJVN Green Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SJVN, has invited bids to commission a 100 MW solar power project in the Didwana-Kuchaman District of Rajasthan. Bidders must also oversee the project’s operation and maintenance for three years. The last day to submit the bids is April 26, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day. Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹122 million (~$1.46 million).

State distribution companies owed power generators ₹778.57 billion (~$9.34 billion) in total dues for the monthly billing cycle in March 2024, according to the Ministry of Power’s payment ratification and analysis portal PRAAPTI. For the February billing cycle, the dues amounted to ₹920.88 billion (~$11.12 billion). The current outstanding dues, excluding the latest monthly dues, are ₹273.15 billion (~$3.27 billion).

The Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission has refused to impose  Grid Support Charges (GSC) on rooftop solar installations, whether operating under net-metering or gross-metering arrangements. It held that GSC should only be applied to captive power plants and solely for the power utilized by the co-located load. Moreover, considering that retail supply tariffs have already been set for the fiscal year (FY) 2023-24 and the year is coming to a close, the Commission decided not to determine GSC for FY 2023-24.

The M. Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru boasts a 400 kWp rooftop solar capacity on top of its eastern side stands. The photovoltaic modules installed on the roof by the Karnataka State Cricket Association in 2015 generate approximately 40,000 units every month, powering the daily operations at the stadium. On average, the stadium utilizes ~100,000 units a month, of which 60,000 units are supplied by Bangalore Electricity Supply Company through the grid.

The solar industry faced a notable increase in underperformance from faults and issues with photovoltaic equipment, rising to 4.47% in 2023 from 3.13% in 2022. This resulted in an annual revenue loss of up to $4.6 billion or $4,696 per MW. Larger projects exceeding 100 MW experienced even higher average annual revenue losses, averaging around $5,000 per MW, according to Raptor Maps‘ Global Solar Report.

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