SECI Invites Bids for 2000 MW Hybrid Projects

This project is reportedly much larger than the first tender for 16 MW that was issued this January by SECI. The company envisioned setting up a greenfield hybrid project in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The results of this bid are yet to be announced.

Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) is all set to promulgate its second hybrid tender for Solar and wind energy projects in May. The advertisement was issued by SECI to alert developers that it is inviting sealed bids for “1000 MW of wind power projects in existing solar power projects” as well as “1000 MW of solar power projects in shadow-free areas of wind power projects,” and the details will be available on the website from May 14.

This project is reportedly much larger than the first tender for 16 MW that was issued this January by SECI. The company envisioned setting up a greenfield hybrid project in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. The results of this bid are yet to be announced.

Hybrid power projects have various advantages over standalone ones, especially when it comes to land and transmission costs. The single megawatt of solar energy capacity requires five to seven acres of land, so if the solar modules can be installed in the spaces between wind turbines it can considerably help in reducing land costs.

SECI is optimistic that the saving of costs and increased efficiency of hybrid projects will turn lead to concessional tariffs. The solar tariffs fell sharply during the course of past three years touching a record Rs 2.44 per unit at an auction held in May 2017.

Although there have been few pilot projects only one commercial hybrid project has been commissioned so far. Hero Future Energies added a 28.8 MW solar plant to its existing 50 MW wind plant in Raichur, Karnataka in mid-April.

Source: ET