In October, renewable energy projects experienced notable momentum with the release of 16 new tenders, amounting to a combined capacity of 11,098 MW in the clean energy sector. Notably, auction allocations also gained momentum, with 6,316 MW of renewable energy capacity assigned to various developers.
India’s total renewable energy capacity crossed the 200 GW mark (including large hydro) in October. The country’s total electricity generation capacity reached 452.69 GW, with renewables making up a substantial portion of the energy mix at 202 GW plus. Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka led in installed renewable capacity.
Requests for selection (RFS) issued last month reached 6,802 MW. Key projects included NHPC’s 1,200 MW ISTS-connected solar tender and SECI’s 1,200 MW round-the-clock (RTC) power tender for ISTS-connected renewable energy. NTPC introduced a 1,200 MW ISTS-connected wind-solar hybrid tender, featuring a “greenshoe option” for an additional 600 MW, and a 1,200 MW firm and dispatchable power (FDRE-II) tender to ensure peak power supply from ISTS-connected renewables, as reported by JMK Research & Analytics.
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Furthermore, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) issued a draft tender for setting up standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a total capacity of 1,600 MWh (equivalent to 200 MW for 8 hours) in Gujarat. Under this model, developers will build, own, and operate the BESS, which will connect to the State grid to provide on-demand energy storage with a single charge/discharge cycle per day. GUVNL plans to enter into a battery energy storage purchase agreement (BESPA) with developers, with a minimum bid size of 400 MWh (50 MW for 8 hours) and incremental bids allowed in multiples of 50 MW/400 Mwh.
On the auction front, Avaada led with 1,090 MW of capacity, while JSW Energy and Adani each secured 600 MW.
Renewable energy sources generated 14,012.73 million units (MU) in October 2024, a 25per cent decrease from September. Solar energy generation rose by 2per cent, but wind energy generation fell by 68per cent month-on-month.