Tangedco secures sanction to float Solar and Wind Tenders

Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has announced that it has secured an approval from the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulation Commission (TNERC) to float solar and wind power tender for the financial year 2018-19.

The tenders will be floated in December and the companies participating in the bidding will have one year to commission the project. The minimum tariff set for the project by TNERC is Rs 3 per unit for solar and Rs 2.65 for wind.

“Tangedco offered its application in April but the Centre wanted to change some guiding principle, which it did later. Tangedco wanted to present a new application with the most recent guidelines and we have given fresh approvals now,” said a senior TNERC official.

According to electricity commission’s resolution, Tangedco can launch three tenders successively for grid-connected solar facilities of 500 MW each.

TNERC has also allowed Tangedco to float 1500 MW wind power tender split into three parts of 500 MW each

“Wind power tariff has been falling below the base tariff of thermal units. Tangedco and other discoms will be happy to evacuate wind power at a tariff less than Rs 3 per unit instead of burning coal in their own units,” said Indian Wind Turbine Manufacturers Association secretary general D V Giri.

Installed wind power capacity in Tamil Nadu is 7858 MW and another 1000MW has already tendered, while the solar capacity is around 1800 MW and another 1000MW is in the pipeline.