Timetable For PV Tenders In India

• MNRE has released a timetable for solar power project development tenders
• Following a timetable will avoid clash of dates with each other and stops distortion of market, it says
• SECI has been allotted the months of December, March, June and September, while states have been given February, May, August and November
• Remaining months of January, April, July and October will see NTPC, PSUs and others issuing tenders

Concerned by the haphazard way, tendering activity for solar PV projects is being carried out in India, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has stepped in to clear up the chaos. It has set up a timetable that need to be adhered to for solar PV project tendering in the country.

In a letter issued by the ministry, it has expressed concern that sometimes bids of two organizations clash with each other, which it believes leads to distortion of the market. According to the timetable issued and reported by local media, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) will issue bids in the months of December, March, June and September.

The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), public sector undertakings (PSU) and others will have January, April, July and October as the months to issue their bids for solar power projects. Remaining months of February, May, August and November will be available to the states to issue the tenders.

According to the MNRE, this timetable spreads out bids across the year, thereby avoiding any clashes.

This timetable follows the trajectory set out by the ministry in November 2017 that laid out a roadmap for future tenders, targeting 30 GW of solar PV tender capacity roll out in 2018-19 and 2019-20 (see India 20 GW Tender Roll Out Start In December).

However, Mercom India Research says this timetable is only to be followed for large scale tenders.