SECI Preparing Tenders For 2.3 GW

• The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) says tenders for 2,300 MW solar PV capacity are currently in various stages of preparation
• To support indigenous developers, SECI will continue to specify to source solar power equipment partly locally
• Tendering for 100 MW rooftop solar power capacity for government buildings has already been approved by MNRE

India's Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) will soon be calling for bids for 2.3 GW of solar power projects. For this capacity, the agency will continue to specify in the tendering documents that parts of the procurement must come from domestic sources.

Speaking to Indian business newspaper The Economic Times (ET), SECI Managing Director Ashvini Kumar said that out of its total commitment of finalizing tenders for 5,500 MW solar power capacity, power purchase agreements (PPAs) are already in place for 3,200 MW. The remaining capacity of 2,300 MW will be tendered and the process is at various stages of implementation.

Kumar said the tender documents have been specifying the requirement for domestic content in solar power plants to promote 'Make In India' and also to 'ensure level playing field for indigenous developers of such projects'.

He also informed that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has already approved tendering 100 MW rooftop solar power capacity for government buildings.

In December 2016, SECI launched the largest rooftop PV tender for 1,000 MW capacity (see India Launches 1 GW PV Rooftop Tender). This capacity will come up atop government buildings.