Government-owned mining and power generating company, Neyveli Lignite Corporation India Limited (NLCIL), has announced that out of the 709 MW of solar power projects awarded by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO), the remaining 351 MW have been completed in the districts of Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Virudhunagar, and Ramanathapuram.

With the commissioning of 709 MW of solar projects in Tamil Nadu, the overall solar generation capacity of NLC has increased to 1,350 MW, states a letter issued by the NLC to the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE).

Mercom had reported that NLC India floated EPC tender for 709 MW of solar projects to be deployed in Tamil Nadu.  NLC India had won a bid to develop 709 MW out of the total 1,500 MW tendered by TANGEDCO.

In March 2019, it was reported that NLC commissioned 200 MW of grid-connected solar projects in Tamil Nadu. Then, in May 2018, NLC had commissioned 300 MW.

Meanwhile, in May 2019, Mercom reported that in Tamil Nadu, TANGEDCO had delayed payments for more than a year to renewable developers. The distribution company (DISCOM) also has been known for curtailing power from solar and wind projects.  These practices have affected the DISCOM’s reputation gravely, and it is finding it very difficult to find takers for its wind and solar tenders. A TANGEDCO official had told Mercom that the state distribution companies have now handed over the responsibility of tendering for solar and wind to SECI.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, with the recent commissioning of the projects, Tamil Nadu now has ~2.7 GW of large-scale solar projects in operation and nearly 1.2 GW of projects in various stages of development.

Image credit: Hbkfromckd108 [CC BY-SA 4.0]

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.