SunEdison, Azure, Welspun, win solar projects in Karnataka

American solar companies, SunEdison and Azure Power, and India’s Welspun have bagged big solar projects in the 500 MW Karnataka tender. SunEdison has won the highest: 150 MW – for separate projects, quoting between ₹6.83 and ₹6.97 a kWhr. Azure Power has bagged 140 MW, quoting between ₹6.89 and ₹6.96 a kWhr.

Confirming this, Azure Power’s CEO, Inderpreet Wadhwa, told Business Line that with these projects, and with another 50 MW project it won recently in Andhra Pradesh, the company’s solar portfolio has crossed the 500 MW-mark in India. This includes a 100 MW project it won under the National Solar Mission’s auctions earlier this year, where it quoted the highest ‘viability gap funding’ of ₹186 crore.

Power up SunEdison, a global solar major that also manufactures raw material polysilicon as well as solar cells and modules, has about 100 MW of capacity in India. It recently signed a MoU with the government of Rajasthan to build 5,000 MW of solar projects in the state, in lots of 500 MW.

Welspun Renewable Energy has won 100 MW, but the tariff it quoted could not be confirmed.

The other winners in Karnataka include Today Green Energy – 60 MW, Bhoruka – 20 MW (quoting ₹7.02) and Asian Fab - 15 MW.

As many as 44 solar power developers participated in the tender for 500 MW, put out by the Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd (KREDL). The bids received totalled 1,593 MW.