Chennai: The pre-bidding meeting for the procurement of 500 MW of solar power in Tamil Nadu received a good response with over 25 developers including renewable energy majors Adani and Gamesa attending it. Tangedco convened a pre-bid meeting on Thursday for the procurement of 500-mw solar power through reverse bidding route to meet its renewable purchase obligation with an upper limit of '5.10 per unit. According to Tangedco sources, over 25 developers attended the meeting held on Thursday.
The developers including Adani who has set up 648 mw solar plant in Ramanathapuram, wind power major Gamesa and city based jewellers GRT took part in the meeting, sources added. The queries raised by the developers in the pre-bid meeting would be uploaded in the Tangedco's website, the official said. In the wake of several developers, who signed PPA with Tangedco at the tariff of '7.01 per unit last year, complained about non evacuation, the good turnout in the pre-bidding meeting assumes significance as it indicates investors interest.
Tangedco had signed PPA with 86 developers for a total capacity of 1484 mw under the preferential tariff route of '7.01 per unit. As on date, Tangedco has an installed solar power capacity of 1503 mw. With the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission fixing a steep RPO targets in line with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy direction, Tangedco required 1200 mw solar power capacity to meet the RPO target of 2.5 per cent for 2016-17 and 2500 mw for 2017-18 to meet 5 per cent RPO target.
“To meet the RPO target, Tangedco has decided to procure 500 mw through reverse bidding route at a tariff of lesser than Rs 5.10 per unit fixed by TNERC,” said the official. When asked the solar developers in the state complaining about non-evacuation, a senior Tangedco official said that they would strictly adhere to merit order dispatch preferring low cost power than costly sources. “Whoever supplies power at lowest cost will be preferred,” the official said. Out of the total solar power capacity of 1503 mw, 973 mw projects commissioned before March 2016 has a tariff of Rs 7.01 per unit.
