The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) had floated tenders for 300 MW of power from grid-connected interstate and intrastate wind projects, and Azure Power and Adani Green Energy 15 were declared winners.
Azure Power won a 180 MW capacity by quoting a tariff of Rs 3.43 or $0.045 per kWh, and Adani Green Energy won a 120 MW capacity by quoting a tariff of Rs 3.44 or $0.046 per kWh. MSEDCL issued the tender in August to meet its non-solar Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs) and future power needs. The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission asked MSEDCL in 2019 to meet its non-solar RPO by procuring wind energy from projects with expired Energy Purchase Agreements (EPAs). The successful bidders will pay for the operation and maintenance of the transmission network up to the delivery point. The successful bidder will be responsible for all approvals, permits, and clearances required for the project's operation including connectivity as well as those required from government and local bodies. The successful bidder may also execute the project through a special purpose vehicle, such as a project company incorporated as a wholly-owned subsidiary company, before signing the PPA. Meanwhile, the lowest wind auction tariff remains at $2.44 ($0.033) per kWh. The tariff was discovered in February 2018 during the Solar Energy Corporation of India's (SECI) Tranche-III auction of 2 GW of the interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected wind projects. ReNew Power won a capacity of 300 MW, Green Infra Wind Energy (180 MW), and Anupavan Renewables (150 MW) in SECI's auction for 1,200 MW ISTS-connected wind power projects (Tranche-XI) last month, each quoting Rs 2.69 or $0.0369 per kWh. Azure Power and Tata Power were declared winners in MSEDCL's auction to procure power from grid-connected interstate and intrastate wind-solar hybrid projects on a long-term basis in June of this year. Tata Power won a 300 MW capacity and Azure Power won a 200 MW capacity, both at Rs 2.62 or $0.035 per kWh. Image Source
