Financial closure for 450 MW project: Total Eren and EDF Renouvelables have achieved financial closure for a 450 MW DC/300 MW AC solar power project being constructed by their 50:50 Indian joint venture EDEN Renewables India. Proceeds of $165 million were raised for the 450 MW SECI III project through a green limited recourse project term loan from the DBS Bank Ltd., Standard Chartered Bank, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (Singapore Branch). EDEN Renewables India won the project in Rajasthan under a Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) auction. SECI signed the PPA for the project in June 2019 with commissioning due in H1/2021.

300 MW floating solar plans: Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) Chairman and Managing Director N Sridhar was quoted by local media as sharing company’s plans to develop a 300 MW floating solar plant on Manair Dam in Karimnagar, Telangana. He said SCCL is currently in the process to secure requisite regulatory clearances for the project.

30 MW PV project commissioned: Pharmaceutical giant Cipla Limited has commissioned a 30 MW captive solar power project in Tuljapur, Maharashtra in partnership with AMP Energy India calling it one of the largest open access solar projects set up by a corporate in the state. It will support the company’s green energy requirements for its manufacturing units at Kurkumbh and Patalganga, as well as avoid CO2 emissions, the company announced in a stock exchange filing. In May 2019, Cipla acquired 26% in AMPSolar Power Systems for INR 129 million to make it an associate company (see India Pharma Giant Invests In Solar).

SWSL brings 25 MW online in Oman: Sterling and Wilson Solar Limited (SWSL) has commissioned its 2^nd solar project in Oman with 25 MW capacity for global oil giant Shell. It has been set up on 50-hectare space within Sohar Freezone. Previously, the company commissioned 125 MW Amin Solar Project as the kingdom’s 1^st renewables based independent power project (IPP), said the Indian EPC company.

MNRE extends BIS certification deadline again: The Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has once again extended the deadline for solar PV inverters to seek Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) self-certification, this time to June 30, 2021, increasing it from December 31, 2020. Through a gazette notification, the ministry said it has extended the deadline considering requests from the Solar Energy Federation, Power Products Manufacturers and Traders Association and industries to give some relief from the constraints and difficulties faced by the industry due to COVID-19 disruption. This extension is subject to the condition that the manufacturers hold valid International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) certificates along with test reports from international test labs for smooth implementation of the order.