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India Solar Power Tenders

SoftBank JV Wins 400 Megawatts Solar At Record Low Tariffs In India

written by saurabh

A joint venture between SoftBank, Foxconn Technologies and Bharti Enterprises has received a huge boost in its standing in the rapidly growing Indian solar power market.

SB Cleantech secured 400 megawatts solar power capacity in two auctions that offered a total of 750 megawatts capacity at the Bhadla solar power park in Rajasthan, India. The company bid the lowest-ever tariffs for solar power projects in India in both the auctions.

The company secured rights to develop 100 megawatts capacity out of the 250 megawatts offered by Adani Enterprises at the Bhadla solar power park. The capacity was allocated to SB Cleantech at Rs 2.63/kWh (4.1¢/kWh), one of the lowest tariffs in India at the time. Two days later, the company also won 300 megawatts capacity offered by IL&FS, an infrastructure company at the same solar power park at Rs 2.45/kWh (3.8¢/kWh) another record low in India.

SoftBank has been bullish on the Indian solar power market and has pledged to invest $20 billion in developing solar power projects. The company had secured its first solar power project in India in Late 2015. The project was auctioned in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. The company recently commissioned this project which, at 350 megawatts, is one of the largest solar power projects in India developed by a single company.

SoftBank is among several foreign companies that are looking to grab a large chunk of the Indian solar power market which is expected to become the third largest in the world this year. Perhaps one of the factors that favours foreign developers is that they may find it easier to secure debt finance at much cheaper rates.

Indian banks continue to provide funding at interest rate that would render new solar power projects in the country financially unviable. Foreign development banks and multi-national banks like the Asian Development Bank and the International Finance Corporation offer loans at very cheap rates.

Thus, foreign developers could lead the Indian solar power market to even lower tariff bids in the near future.

May 15, 2017 1 comment

Renewable Energy

Solar Power Tariff Bids In India Crash 26% In Just 3 Months

written by saurabh

Participants in the Indian solar power market seem to have been embroiled in a mad race to the lowest possible tariff, the recent competitive auctions for large-scale projects has shown.

Since February this year four major solar power auctions have taken place in India with the lowest tariff bids falling by as much as 26% between the first and the latest auction. The race to lower tariff bids has been fuelled primarily by the crash in solar module prices, regulatory support from the government and, perhaps, the promise and hope of cheap debt finance.

In February, a total of 750 megawatt capacity was auctioned at first year tariff of Rs 2.97/kWh (4.6¢/kWh) which translates into levelised tariff of Rs 3.30/kWh (5.1¢/kWh) over a period of 25 years. The auction was historic in terms of the bids, mode of sale and dirt-cheap debt finance on offer from the International Finance Corporation. The winners in this auction were Acme Cleantech Solutions, Mahindra Renewables and Solenergi.

In April, India’s largest power generation company NTPC Limited offered 250 megawatts at the Kadapa solar power park in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The winner was Solairedirect, a subsidiary of French utility Engie. It secured the entire capacity at Rs 3.15/kWh (4.9¢/kWh) with the highest tariff bid going as high as Rs 4.68/kWh (7.2¢/kWh).

In May, two auctions were held back-to-back over a span of two days. The capacity on offer was 750 megawatts – 250 megawatts by Adani Enterprises and 500 megawatts by IL&FS – at the Bhadla solar power park in the state of Rajasthan.

At least 14 developers placed the final bids with ranged between Rs 2.62/kWh (4.1¢/kWh) and Rs 3.59/kWh (5.6¢/kWh). Only three of these 14 bids were higher than the previous lowest bid of Rs 3.15/kWh (4.9¢/kWh) discovered in the Kadapa solar park auction; and nine bids were lower than Rs 3.00/kWh (4.7¢/kWh).

Phelan Energy (50 megawatts), Avaada Energy (100 megawatts) and SB Cleantech (100 megawatts) were the winners in this auction.

The second auction in May for Bhadla solar power park witnessed increased competition among the project developers. Only one bid was greater than the winning bid of Kadapa solar power park; and five bids were lower than the winning bid of Bhadla solar power park two days back.

Acme Cleantech Solution (200 megawatts) and SB Cleantech (300 megawatts) were the winners in this auction at a tariff of Rs 2.44/kWh and Rs 2.45/kWh (3.8¢/kWh), respectively. The massive jump in competition within two days is evident from the fact that Acme Cleantech Solutions reduced its bid from a losing one of Rs 3.36/kWh (5.2¢/kWh) in the 250 megawatts Bhadla auction to just Rs 2.44/kWh (3.8¢/kWh) for the 500 megawatts auction – decline of 27.4% in a matter of two days.

SB Cleantech also reduced its tariff bid from Rs 2.63/kWh (4.1¢/kWh) to Rs 2.45/kWh (3.8¢/kWh), a drop of 6.8%. ReNew Power Ventures also dropped its bid from Rs 2.74/kWh (4.3¢/kWh) to Rs 2.47/kWh (3.8¢/kWh) between the two auctions but failed to score any win.

May 15, 2017 0 comment

Renewable Energy

India Witnesses Two Solar Power Records In Two Days

written by saurabh

Two marathon competitive auctions for a cumulative solar power capacity of 750 megawatts yielded new all-time low solar tariff bids in India last week.

Indian and foreign developers competed fiercely in two auctions for solar power capacity offered at the Bhadla solar power park in the western state of Rajasthan. Both auctions beat the previous lowest tariff bid of Rs 3.15/kWh (4.9¢/kWh) discovered in a 250 megawatt auction held last month.

The Bhadla solar power park is divided into smaller solar power projects which are being developed by various companies, including India’s largest power generator NTPC Limited. The projects offered in the recent auctions are being developed by IL&FS (500 megawatts) and Adani Enterprises (250 megawatts). Auctions for these companies were carried out by government-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). Tenders for these two projects had received an overwhelming response.

The first auction, for 250 megawatts received at least 14 bids in the range of Rs 2.62/kWh (4.1¢/kWh) and Rs 3.59/kWh (5.6¢/kWh). South Africa’s Phelan Energy and India-based Avaada Energy secured 50 megawatts and 100 megawatts at Rs 2.62/kWh while SoftBank-backed SB Cleantech won rights to develop 100 megawatts at Rs 2.63/kWh.

These bids were 9.2% lower than the previous lowest solar power tariff in India discovered in the 250 megawatt auction for Kadapa solar power park. The entire capacity was secured by Solairedirect, a subsidiary of French utility Engie.

Within two days the record of Rs 2.62/kWh was shattered by two companies that secured a total of 500 megawatt capacity. Acme Cleantech Solutions secured 200 megawatts at Rs 2.44/kWh (3.8¢/kWh) while SB Cleantech won rights to develop 300 megawatts at Rs 2.45/kWh (3.8¢/kWh).

Acme Cleantech Solutions had also secured 250 megawatts in the Rewa solar power park auction at a levelised tariff of Rs 3.30/kWh (5.1¢/kWh) with the first year tariff of Rs 2.97/kWh (4.6¢/kWh). SB Cleantech, a joint venture of SoftBank, Foxconn and Bharti Enterprises had emerged as a formidable entity in the Indian solar power market in a span of months. The company recently commissioned one of the largest solar power projects in India.

May 15, 2017 0 comment