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					</table>The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://www.derc.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DERC</a>) has approved the New Delhi Municipal Council’s (<a href="https://ndmc.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NDMC</a>) plea to procure 200 MW of solar power from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (<a href="https://www.seci.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SECI</a>) under the interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected solar project (Tranche–XI).
The Commission approved a tariff of ₹2.61 (~$0.029)/kWh, along with a trading margin of ₹0.07 (~$0.00079)/kWh payable to SECI, for 25 years.
Background
SECI had <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/seci-floats-2-gw-solar-projects-in-india" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> a request for selection on March 31, 2023, for the allocation of 2,000 MW of solar capacity under ISTS solar (Tranche-XI).
The petitioner, NDMC, filed a petition to secure 200 MW of solar power to meet its renewable purchase obligation, address rising electricity demand, particularly during summer peak months, and support its objective of transitioning to 100% renewable energy.
NDMC received an offer from SECI on February 23, 2024, for 200 MW at ₹2.61 (~$0.029)/kWh, plus a trading margin of ₹0.07 (~$0.00079)/kWh, which was accepted on March 4, 2024. DERC granted in-principle approval to enter into the power sale agreement (PSA) on March 27, 2024. The power sale agreement between NDMC and SECI was executed on September 17, 2024.
The power purchase agreement between SECI and the project developer Avaada GJ Sustainable, a wholly owned subsidiary of <a href="https://avaada.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avaada Group</a>, was signed on October 4, 2024.
NDMC explained that the L-2 bidder, Avaada GJ Sustainable, was selected due to confirmed early commissioning readiness. The Avaada project was already 70% complete in civil works and electrical installations, with SECI communicating an expected commissioning by November 7, 2025, and a connectivity readiness target by August 16, 2025.
NDMC explained that the ₹2.61 (~$0.029)/kWh tariff was selected because the projects quoted at the L-1 tariff of ₹2.60 (~$0.029)/kWh were expected to be delayed until March 2026 or later. It contended that the delay risk would impose a significant additional transmission cost burden over the project life.
Commission’s Analysis
The Commission examined whether NDMC’s execution of the PSA with the L-2 tariff, rather than the L-1 tariff, was reasonable.
NDMC stated that the Avaada project had completed its switchyard, achieved roughly 70% completion in civil and electrical erection works, and planned to begin module installation in July 2025, targeting early commissioning by November 7, 2025 and ISTS connectivity by August 16, 2026.
SECI informed that the CTU substation required for L-1 projects would become operational only between August and November 2026, thereby delaying commissioning.
The Commission considered the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) notification under which projects commissioning before June 30, 2026, would pay 25% transmission charges, whereas those commissioning after June 2026 would pay 50%, then 75% after June 2027, and 100% beyond June 2028. With earlier commissioning, lower transmission costs would offset the ₹0.01 (~$0.00011)/kWh tariff difference.
Approving NDMC’s petition, it held that selecting the project offering ₹2.61 (~$0.029)/kWh instead of the lowest bid of ₹2.60 (~$0.029)/kWh was justified by the earlier commissioning timeline and the significantly lower transmission charges.
In September this year, DERC <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/derc-7-years-liquidate-regulatory-assets-petitions-supreme-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">petitioned</a> the Supreme Court to allow it to liquidate its existing regulatory assets over seven years instead of four years, to mitigate the impact of tariff shock to consumers.
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Delhi Electricity Regulator Approves NDMC’s Plea to Procure 200 MW Solar Power

Facilitating the adoption of e-mobility in the national capital, the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (<a href="https://www.eeslindia.org/content/raj/eesl/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EESL</a>) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to establish the infrastructure for electric vehicles in the SDMC area for a period of 10 years.
According to the terms outlined in the MoU, the two entities will work in tandem to fast-track the adoption of e-mobility by installing 75 electric vehicle charging stations in the SDMC area.
As per the terms mentioned in the MoU, the procurement of EV-related infrastructure will be borne by EESL along with the operation and maintenance of the public charging infrastructure, while SDMC will provide for the space for setting up such infrastructure in the area.
In the first phase of the project, EV charging stations will be installed in 18 locations within six months from the effective date after a survey undertaken by both the parties. The number of total locations may vary depending upon the availability of space. But as per the current estimates, there will be 75 such charging stations across South Delhi which would include multi-level parking locations as well.
As of now, for charging of electric vehicles, 300 AC and 170 DC captive chargers have been commissioned and 65 such public charging stations have already been installed in North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).
EESL has also signed agreements with the states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Telangana for setting up such charging stations in the states.
The <a href="https://dhi.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Department of Heavy Industry</a> recently invited proposals for <a href="https://mercomindia.com/government-proposals-ev-charging/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deploying</a> electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the country’s big and smart cities under the government’s FAME program.
Earlier this year, Delhi <a href="https://mercomindia.com/delhi-tariffs-ev-charging-electric-mobility/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cut down</a> the rates of charging stations for e-rickshaws and other electric vehicles.
In <a href="https://mercomindia.com/delhi-draft-ev-policy-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">November of 2018</a>, the Delhi Electric Vehicle Policy was launched with the objective of improving Delhi’s air quality by reducing emissions in the transport sector.
Recently, Mercom reported that the Noida Metro Rail Corporation <a href="https://mercomindia.com/noida-metro-floats-tender-ev-charging-stations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">floated</a> a tender to set up charging stations for electric vehicles along the Noida-Greater Noida Metro Corridor.
Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.mgmotor.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">MG Motor India</a> has <a href="https://mercomindia.com/mg-motor-startup-home-charging-evs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> its partnership with eChargeBays, a Delhi-based startup, to assist its customers in setting up infrastructure at their homes for charging their electric vehicles.

EESL Joins Hands with SDMC to Install 75 EV Charging Stations Across Delhi

Solar Energy Corporation of India (<a href="http://seci.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SECI</a>) has received bids totaling 1,200 MW capacity for setting up solar energy projects. The projects developed are to be connected with the interstate transmission system (ISTS) network under tariff-based competitive bidding (ISTS-VI). Once the projects are awarded, they will be developed on a build own operate (BOO) basis. Successful bidders in this tender will enter into Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with SECI for 25 years. The tariff for this tender had been initially capped at ₹2.65 (~$0.038)/kWh and later amended to ₹2.68 (~$0.037). Procuring land, connectivity, and long-term open access (LTOA) approval is within the scope of the project developer.
ReNew Power, UPC Renewables, Tata Power, and Avaada Energy were the participants in this tender. All of the companies submitted bids to develop 300 MW capacity each.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SECI-1.2-GW-ISTS-VI-Solar-Tender.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-15987" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SECI-1.2-GW-ISTS-VI-Solar-Tender.png" alt="SECI - 1.2 GW ISTS -VI Solar Tender" width="358" height="238" srcset="https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SECI-1.2-GW-ISTS-VI-Solar-Tender.png 358w, https://cms.mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/SECI-1.2-GW-ISTS-VI-Solar-Tender-300x199.png 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 358px) 100vw, 358px" /></a>
In <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-extends-bid-deadline-solar-tenders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">September 2019</a>, SECI had extended the bid submission date for this project. Earlier, the tender was issued for the state of Madhya Pradesh only, but later, it was open to being developed pan-India.
SECI’s solar tenders are struggling to attract robust interest from developers.
SECI’s tender for setting up 1.2 GW of solar photovoltaic projects under ISTS-V had been <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-1-2-gw-solar-tender-undersubscribed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">undersubscribed</a> by 50%, receiving bids for only 600 MW of solar capacity. As the tender was undersubscribed, only 80% of the bid capacity could be awarded in line with the tender condition. Therefore, only a capacity of 480 MW was <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-auctions-solar-tender-lowest-tariff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">awarded</a> out of the 1.2 GW capacity tendered.
According to Mercom’s India Solar <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tender Tracker</a>, SECI has tendered ~11 GW under the ISTS program (Tranche I to Tranche VII); and 5.5 GW has been auctioned (under ISTS-I-V) so far. SECI has also tendered 2.4 GW ISTS wind-solar hybrid projects, of which 1.56 GW has been auctioned (Tranche-I and II).
Recently, SECI <a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-tender-round-clock-renewables-energy-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a tender to procure 400 MW (2×200 MW) of renewable energy on round the clock basis. The energy procured through these projects will be supplied to the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. The projects developed under this tender can be constructed anywhere in India and will be connected to the ISTS network.
Image credit: Invenergy

SECI’s 1.2 GW Solar Tender Attracts Technical Bids from Four Developers

Solar Energy Corporation of India (<a href="http://seci.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SECI</a>) has issued a tender to procure 400 MW (2&#215;200 MW) of renewable energy on round the clock basis.
The energy procured through these projects will be supplied to the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
The projects developed under this tender can be constructed anywhere in India and will be connected to the inter-state transmission system (ISTS).
Under this tender, solar, wind, and hybrid projects can be developed. Moreover, the renewable power installations can be further augmented with necessary energy storage systems as per the developer’s requirements to meet the criteria of supply of power during the peak hours. The bidder will also have the flexibility to choose the type of storage system to be installed like battery energy storage systems, pumped storage systems, mechanical and chemical systems.
The minimum capacity a bidder can apply for is 200 MW, and a maximum capacity of 400 MW can be allocated to a single bidder.
Selected bidders are expected to enter into power purchase agreements (PPA) with the procurers for 25 years. The bidders are to quote a single first-year tariff under this tender, which should have an escalation of 4% per annum (rounded off to two decimal points), up to the end of the 15th contract year of the term of the power purchase agreement, and should subsequently be fixed thereafter for the remaining term of the PPA.
The net worth of an interested bidder should at least be ₹60 million ($833,000)/MW of the quoted capacity.
Bidders would have to submit an earnest money deposit of ₹3 million ($42,157) to participate in this tender. The last date for the submission of bids will be intimated through the online tendering platform.
Mismatch in load peak compared to solar or wind peak has been one of the disadvantages of renewables and also affecting grid stability. This tender by SECI is a unique one and the first one for round-the-clock demand and a path breaker for renewable energy integration.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-issues-tender-ists-connected-wind-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Last month</a>, SECI had invited bids from wind power generators to develop 1,200 MW of interstate transmission system connected wind power projects under Tranche-IX of the ISTS scheme. The projects will be developed on a build-own-operate basis.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/seci-developers-ists-connected-renewable/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">More recently</a>, SECI issued a notice inviting proposals for the development of renewable projects that would also be connected with the ISTS system. The total capacity tendered under this project was 200 MW.

SECI Issues 400 MW Tender for Round the Clock Supply of Renewables with Energy Storage

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="http://www.derc.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DERC</a>) has ordered the distribution companies (DISCOMs) in the national capital to enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs) for procuring power from Tehkhand Waste to Electricity Project.
The commission was examining a petition filed by the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC). BSES Rajdhani Power Limited, BSES Yamuna Power Limited, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. and New Delhi Municipal Council were the respondents in the petition.
In 2018, the Delhi commission had directed these DISCOMs to sign PPAs to procure power from the Tehkhand Waste to Electricity Project. Then, SDMC submitted the copies of the PPAs executed between Tehkhand Waste to Electricity Project and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd. (TPDDL).
After examination, the DERC found the PPAs to be in order and gave its due approval. However, it also found that the PPA copy of the one executed between Tehkhand Waste to Electricity Project and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) had not been submitted for approval.
Therefore, the commission has now directed the NDMC to enter into a PPA with Tehkhand Waste to Electricity Project without any delay.
This order will be a relief for project developers involved in setting up waste to energy projects in Delhi and can serve as a reference point for similar orders in other states and union territories of India.
In 2018, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (<a href="https://mnre.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MNRE</a>) approved a program called “Energy from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Waste/Residue” with modified terms and conditions from 2017-18 to 2019-20. The program aims at creating conducive conditions and environment with fiscal and financial regime to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate utilization of wastes and residues for recovery of energy.

Delhi Commission Directs DISCOM to Sign PPA for Waste to Energy Project

New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area has become the first municipal council in India to implement 100 percent smart metering solution in its area.
This feat was achieved after the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (<a href="http://www.eeslindia.org/content/raj/eesl/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EESL</a>), a joint venture between the public-sector units of the Ministry of Power and the government of India,  replaced 50,000 conventional electricity meters with smart meters.
The adoption of smart meters is expected to lead to total annual savings to the tune of ₹124.7 million (~$ 1.77 million). The aggregate technical and commercial (AT&amp;C)  losses are estimated to be around 12.63 percent.
This move is also likely to improve consumer satisfaction level from better complaint management, faster restoration of outages, awareness of optimized consumption pattern, and improvement in system stability.
“The government of India is accelerating the adoption of smart meters to ensure efficient management of electricity by checking data-entry errors, billing inefficiencies, and cutting the costs of manual meter reading through web-based monitoring systems. Smart meters will revolutionize the power sector through their vast cascade of benefits including reduced AT&amp;C losses, better health of DISCOMs, incentivization of energy conservation and ease of bill payments,” said R.K. Singh, the Minister for Power in a government release.
Naresh Kumar, the chairman of NDMC also commented on the feat saying, “NDMC has adopted the smart meters program as a part of aligning with the government’s plan to upgrade our national energy system. We aim to play a vital role in India’s journey towards becoming a lower-carbon economy and an energy-secure nation. We are glad to lead the way in India’s smart meter revolution.”
Lately, the installation of smart meters has gathered momentum in the country. In recent times, various states have announced their intention to slowly wipe out conventional meters, replacing them with smart ones to ensure energy efficiency.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/uttar-pradesh-eesl-smart-meter-installation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">For instance, recently</a>, Mercom reported that Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd. (<a href="http://upenergy.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UPPCL</a>) has roped in <a href="http://eeslindia.org/content/raj/eesl/en/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EESL</a> for the installation of smart meters due to their expertise in low cost bulk procurement and working as demand aggregators.
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/eesl-bihar-discoms-mou-smart-meters/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">In August 2018</a>, EESL entered two memoranda of understanding (MoU) with North Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (NBPDCL) and South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL) to deploy smart meters in 130 towns and adjacent rural areas covering approximately 1.8 million customers in the state.

50,000 Smart Meters Installed in New Delhi Municipal Council Area

The National Thermal Power Corporation (<a href="http://www.ntpc.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NTPC</a>) has annulled a 250 MW Domestic Content Requirement (<a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-tariffs-dcr-auctions-decline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DCR</a>) category auction, which was held in October 2017.
A senior NTPC official confirmed the annulment of the DCR tender saying, “The tender had to be cancelled due to the World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations.”
Elaborating on the issue, the NTPC official said, “The power generated from this project was meant for the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC). According to the WTO regulations and the decision made by the United States and India, the DCR category ended on <a href="https://mercomindia.com/dcr-category-officially-end-december-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">December 14, 2017</a>. This project would have come into existence soon afterwards, and thus would have been in conflict with the WTO norms.”
Had the project been tendered for captive consumption and was not under the developer mode, there would have been no need for an annulment,  added the NTPC official.
When approached for a comment on the development, Azure Power executives chose to remain silent.
The NTPC had tendered the capacity in <a href="https://mercomindia.com/ntpc-tenders-250-mw-solar-dcr-category/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 2017</a>, hoping the project would be developed quickly. Another NTPC official had then told Mercom, “There’s an off-taker on board, this project will be developed quickly as most ends have been tied up.”
In <a href="https://mercomindia.com/azure-wins-ntpc-dcr-solar-auction-with-a-low-bid-of-rs-3-14kwh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">October 2017</a>, Azure Power emerged as the lowest (L1) bidder by quoting a tariff of ₹3.14 (~$0.0491)/kWh to develop the 250 MW of solar project under the DCR.
When asked whether the capacity will be tendered again, the NTPC official said, “Right now, I cannot comment on that. We (NTPC) will have to rejig the tender guidelines etc., All of it is definitely going to take some time. So, let’s take it one step at a time”.
This tender cancellation raises concerns about whether all the implementing agencies in the country are aware of the new rules applicable to the solar sector.
The legal <a href="https://mercomindia.com/india-failed-wto-ruling-dcr-case/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">war of words</a> between India and the United States on the issue of supply of Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) is still ongoing. A month after the U.S. argued that India did not abide by the solar policy norms prescribed by the World Trade Organization (WTO), India has now rejected the accusation, calling it ‘groundless’.
Image credit: Azure Power
Correction: Removed an out of context sentence from the 9th paragraph.

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