SECI Announces 1.2 GW Wind Auction Results, NTPC Lowest Bidder at Rs 2.89/unit

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has announced the winners of the 1.2 GW Wind Energy Projects’ auctions or Tranche XII for interstate transmission connected wind projects. Even as NTPC bid at Rs 2.89/unit, for its 200 MW bid, it was Halvad Renewables Pvt Ltd that won 300 MW at a price of Rs 2.93 along with JSW Neo Energy Ltd and Torrent Power Ltd that also won 300 MW each at a quoted tariff of Rs 2.94.

The lowest tariff was is also about 7.4 per cent more than the lowest tariff quoted during the auctions of Tranche XI.

Azure Power, Blue Lead Energy India Investments and O2 Power, Anupavan Renewables , Green Infra Wind Energy, Tunga Renewable and AMP Energy missed out with higher bids.

The bids submitted by SJVN and Evergreen for 60 MW and 40 MW did not qualify because the respective prices quoted by the two were more than the L1+2% cut off criteria of the tender.

The tender for Tranche XII wind power projects was notified last October saying that the project should be designed to interconnect with ISTS as per CERC regulations. The notification also held that it was the wind developer’s responsibility to acquire land to construct the project. Also, the tender said that developers were to deploy only certified wind turbine models that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has listed in the ‘Revised List of Models and Manufactures.’

In January, 2022, bids were invited by SECI for the development of 1,200 MW ISTS-connected wind energy projects under Tranche XIII. Last month, MNRE Minister, RK Singh had informed that offshore bids for a 2000 MW of wind energy will finally be invited in near future. He specified that the bids will be for 1000 MW in Gujarat and 1000 MW in Tamil Nadu. MNRE also says that India installed a capacity of 39.25 GW of wind energy at the end of March 2021 which makes it the fourth highest wind capacity installer in the world.