Daily News Wrap-Up: Solar Module Capacity Under ALMM Rises to 225 GW

Alpex Solar Inaugurates 2.2 GW TOPCon Cell Facility in Uttar Pradesh

Vizag Data Center Boom Could Drive Hybrid Renewables, Energy Storage Market

MNRE’s West Asia Advisory Offers More Time, but Developers Say Relief May Fall Short

The Real Cost of Energy Storage Systems Goes Beyond Battery Prices

Solar Module Capacity Under ALMM Rises to 225 GW

Ahmedabad Municipal Body Floats Tender for Solar-Plus-Storage Project

German Solar Firm BSH Files for Insolvency as Indebtedness Grows

West Bengal Regulator Clears ₹20 Billion Floating Solar-Storage Project

GREW Solar, Caelux Sign 4 GW Perovskite Solar Technology Deal


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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/juniper-jakson-edf-win-guvnl-200-mw-wind-auction" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Juniper Green Energy, Jakson Green, and RIH Renewables (EDF Renewables) won Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam’s (GUVNL) auction to supply power from 200 MW grid-</a>connected wind power projects in India (Phase VIII). The tender was floated in July this year for a capacity of 500 MW. GUVNL later reduced the capacity to 200 MW. Juniper won 50 MW at a tariff of ₹3.56 (~$0.0424)/kWh. RIH Renewables won 40 MW at a tariff of ₹3.59 (~$0.0427)/kWh. Jakson quoted a tariff of ₹3.63 (~$0.0432)/kWh to win 50 MW. The project’s scope covers setting up the wind power projects and connecting the transmission network with the central/state transmission utility network.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ppa-terms-renewable-energy-projects-15-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ministry of Power plans to amend its tariff-based competitive bidding process guidelines to procure power from grid-connected solar, wind, wind-solar hybrid</a> projects, and firm and dispatchable renewable energy projects equipped with energy storage systems. Stakeholders can submit their comments by November 9, 2024. One of the amendments seeks to reduce the Power Purchase Agreement period from 20 years to 15 years. If the generator fails to maintain the minimum power availability for three consecutive years, it will be considered a default. The procurers may choose to lower the generator’s annual minimum availability requirement by paying a lump-sum compensation equivalent to 24 months (or the remaining period of the PPA, whichever is shorter) of the tariff for the supply obligations corresponding to the reduced availability.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-module-capacity-almm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has expanded the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) by adding 2,079 MW of solar module capacity. The</a> cumulative module manufacturing capacity under ALMM now stands at 60,494 MW. FS Green Energies and Hexatron Industries were the new entrants to the ALMM, accounting for 572 MW and 203 MW, respectively. Alpex Solar, Icon Solar En Power, Vikram Solar, and Avaada Electro increased their enlisted capacity by 175 MW, 209 MW, 309 MW, and 611 MW, respectively. Swelect HHV Solar and Redren Energy, with an enlisted capacity of 627 MW and 77 MW respectively, were added to the provisional ALMM list with an applied capacity of 700 MW and 400 MW.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/banked-energy-cannot-units-of-the-same-company-aptel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The banked energy at one facility of a company cannot be adjusted against the electricity consumption of another of its units, the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity</a> has ruled. It dismissed an appeal filed by Maharashtra Seamless (MSL) against an order of the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, which rejected a petition seeking adjustment of banked energy units from its industrial plant at Vile Bhagad towards its other plant at Sukeli. MSL, a flagship company of the Jindal Group, operates two industrial plants—one at Sukeli and another at Vile Bhagad in Maharashtra. Both plants are extra-high-tension consumers, with contract demands of 16,330 KVA and 8,000 KVA, respectively. MSL established a 7 MW wind energy captive power project in the Satara district. This project initially supplied power to its Sukeli plant through open access.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ntpc-rel-tenders-epc-solar-project-in-rajasthan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NTPC Renewable Energy (NTPC REL) has invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a 300 MW ground-mounted solar power project connected to</a> the interstate transmission system near NTPC Anta, Rajasthan. The last date for submitting bids is December 12, 2024. Bids will be opened the same day. The scope of work involves securing land for the solar project and overseeing the complete design, EPC, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of the solar project. The scope also includes developing the power evacuation system to transmit power from the project to the NTPC Anta substation and a terminal bay at the substation. NTPC REL plans to fund this package through its resources or borrowings.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/meil-and-bescom-power-agreement-pm-kusum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MEIL Solar Energy, a subsidiary of Megha Engineering &amp; Infrastructures (MEIL), has signed power purchase agreements with Bangalore Electricity Supply Company</a> to supply 618.1 MW of power from 76 solar power projects of varying capacities under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan program. The projects will be developed under the renewable energy service company model. MEIL Solar Energy will develop the associated 11 kV line to connect the projects with the substations and undertake the project’s operation and maintenance for 25 years. The tender was floated in January last year.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/indigrids-revenue-up-in-q2-fy-2025" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Grid Trust (IndiGrid), a power infrastructure investment trust, reported consolidated revenue of ₹8.06 billion ($96.7 million) in the second quarter of the</a> financial year 2025, marking a 16% year-over-year (YoY) increase from ₹6.95 billion ($83.4 million). The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization saw a jump of 31.3% YoY from ₹5.58 billion ($67 million) to₹7.33 billion ($88 million. Its net distributable cash flow rose 3.6% YoY to ₹3.20 billion ($38.4 million). IndiGrid continued to expand its portfolio during the quarter. The company was declared the lowest bidder for a 250 MW/500 MWh capacity battery energy storage system project in a reverse auction conducted by NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/china-adds-161-gw-of-solar-capacity-in-9m-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sustaining its clean energy growth momentum, China added 160.88 GW of solar energy capacity, a 19.85% increase year-over-year increase in the first nine months (9M)</a> of 2024 from 128.94 GW in 9M 2023, according to the National Energy Administration. The solar capacity addition in the third quarter was 58.4 GW, with 21 GW in September alone. In the same quarter last year, China had installed 50.52 GW of solar capacity. In 2024, the country’s newly installed capacity from all sources reached 242.58 GW, with solar accounting for 66.32%. During 9M, 33.43 GW (13.78%) of thermal, 39.12 GW (16.12%) of wind, 7.97 GW (3.28%) of hydroelectric, and 1.19 GW (0.49%) of nuclear power were installed.</p>


Daily News Wrap-Up: Juniper, Jakson Green, EDF Bag GUVNL’s 200 MW Wind Auction

<p>The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="http://www.cercind.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CERC</a>) has extended the scheduled commercial operation date (SCoD) of a 50 MW solar thermal project in Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<p>Megha Engineering &amp; Infrastructures Limited (<a href="https://meil.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MEIL</a>) had requested the extension because of the drought in the region. It has also asked the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (<a href="http://www.nvvn.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NVVN</a>) not to encash the performance bank guarantee until the disposal of another petition filed by NVVN in the same matter.</p>
<p><strong>Background</strong></p>
<p>Back in 2011, the petitioner had executed the power purchase agreement with NVVN for its 50 MW solar thermal power project in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh.</p>
<p>The SCoD was revised to March 09, 2014, after the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/">MNRE</a>) gave a general extension of 10 months and revised the SCoD to 38 months instead of 28 months. On November 04, 2014, the petitioner achieved the commissioning of its 50 MW solar thermal project but with a delay of about 240 days.</p>
<p>MEIL had filed a petition in 2014 seeking the extension of SCoD of its project based on the notification dated January 9, 2013, issued by the government of Andhra Pradesh in which the government had declared that the area in which project was situated to be drought-affected.</p>
<p>In 2017, the Commission allowed MEIL’s request for the extension of SCoD and directed NVVN to ascertain the duration of the drought based on the notification issued by the government.</p>
<p>NVVN, in its reply, had stated that as the petitioner had been unable to start the supply of power to NVVN by the SCoD, the petitioner should pay the liquidated damages for the delay. This amounted to  ₹471 million (~$6.63 million) for three months 25 days’ work as a principal and in addition to the delayed payment surcharge.</p>
<p>Later, NVVN filed an appeal before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) against the Commission’s order, which is pending for hearing. NVVN also filed an application for the stay and has also disputed the claim of the petitioner.</p>
<p>Since the separate petition is still awaiting adjudication, the commission directed NVVN not to encash the performance bank guarantee until the disposal of the petition and the petitioner was also directed to keep the performance bank guarantee valid.</p>
<p>A month ago, the central body <a href="https://mercomindia.com/cerc-extension-solar-rajasthan-road-construction/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">agreed with a petition</a> that argued that a hold-up in road construction by the state government delayed the project commissioning, which was beyond the control of the solar developers. The commission also ordered that the liquidated damages will be levied for two projects of 10 MW each after ascertaining the number of delays the project was delayed.</p>
<p>Previously, the CERC <a href="https://mercomindia.com/cerc-ntpc-bhadla-solar-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ruled in favor</a> of three independent power producers for the payment of their performance bank guarantee to the tune of ₹255 million ($3.7 million). The three IPPs had petitioned the CERC seeking the release of the performance bank guarantees retained by the NTPC. They had also requested for the extension of time and deferral of the scheduled commissioning date for two solar power projects of 70 MW capacity in Bhadla Solar Park, Rajasthan.</p>
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<p>Image credit: Bkwcreator [CC BY-<a href="https://mercomindia.com/cerc-ntpc-bhadla-solar-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SA</a>]</p>


CERC Provides Relief to a 50 MW Solar Thermal Project Delayed Due to Drought

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