Companies have bid for 2,170 mw of solar power capacity, three times the proposed of 750 mw, offering to supply electricity from the renewable source at Rs 5.50 per unit under the second phase of the ambitious Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, which is back on track after a delay.
Out of the bids received, projects amounting to 700 mw would be based on domestic content, said the officials of Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), the executing body for the second phase of the solar mission of the ministry of new and renewable energy.
The remaining projects are free to choose domestic or imported content for project development. “SECI received 68 bids comprising of 122 projects for a total capacity of 2,170 mw. This includes 36 projects under ‘domestic content requirement (DCR)’ category for 700 mw and 86 projects under open category for 1,470 mw”, said a senior official of SECI.
Announced in March 2013, the second phase of the solar mission was marred with delays owing to a financial crunch and tiff between domestic and foreign manufacturers of solar photo-voltaic cells and modules. The current phase of the mission was bifurcated into two parts on equipment sourcing from domestic and foreign suppliers of solar equipment sourcing from domestic and foreign suppliers of solar equipment. The portion under DCR was 375 mw out of the total 750 mw.
In the RfP floated in October last year, SECI envisaged solar power project development under PPP mode with government support through viability gap funding for a solar tariff of Rs 5.50 per kWh.
