RUMSL’s Issues Letters of Award to Winners in the Three Solar Auctions for 1,500 MW

The winners of the three auctions conducted by Rewa Ultra Mega Solar Limited (RUMSL) for 1,500 MW of solar projects to be developed at the Agar Solar Park, Shajapur Solar Park, and Neemuch Solar Park in Madhya Pradesh received the letters of award (LoA) on Wednesday.
Among the winners who were awarded the projects were TP Saurya, a Tata Power subsidiary, and NTPC Limited’s renewable arm NTPC Renewables. Both received the letters of award (LoAs) for 330 MW and 325 MW of solar projects to be developed at the Neemuch Solar Park and Shajapur Solar Park in Madhya Pradesh, respectively, from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
In RUMSL’s auction for 500 MW of projects at the Neemuch Solar Park, TP Saurya and AlJomaih Energy and Water Company were declared winners. TP Saurya won a capacity of 170 MW quoting ?2.14 (~$0.028)/kWh and 160 MW at ?2.149 (~$0.0289)/kWh. Aljomaih Energy and Water Company had won 170 MW at a tariff of ?2.15 (~$0.0289)/KWh.
NTPC Renewables and Talettutayi Solar Projects Nine (SolarArise) won the auction for 450 MW of projects at the Shajapur Solar Park. NTPC Renewables had won a capacity of 105 MW quoting ?2.35 (~$0.0316)/kWh, and also a capacity of 220 MW quoting ?2.33 (~$0.0313)/kWh. Talettutayi Solar Projects Nine (SolarArise) won a capacity of 125 MW quoting ?2.339 (~$0.0314)/kWh.
Avaada Energy and O2 Power were announced winners in RUMSL’s auction for 550 MW projects at the Agar Solar Park. Avaada Energy had won a capacity of 200 MW, quoting 2.459 (~$0.033)/kWh, and O2 Power had won a capacity of 350 MW at 2.444 (~$0.032)/kWh.
The three auctions were held between July and August, and RUMSL has already issued the letter of award. This is one of the reasons that the auction received massive response and also competitive tariff offers.
The power from 1,500 MW solar parks will be supplied through the national grid to Indian Railways (195 MW) in eight states under the power purchase agreement (PPA) valid for 25 years. Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL) will be procuring the remaining 1,305 MW.
Earlier, Mercom reported on the changes and additions proposed by RUMSL, MPPMCL, and West Central Railway in the bidding guidelines for 1,500 MW of grid-connected solar projects. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) allowed most of the changes.
The commissioning timelines were requested to be extended to 19 months to ensure that the synchronization of the unit with the evacuation infrastructure would be completed along with the commissioning of the unit. As per the existing provisions, the timeline was 15 months. The Commission approved this request.