MNRE Postpones Commissioning of 7,750 MW Grid-Connected VGF Solar Projects

MNRE does not hold the developers responsible for the delay in the commissioning of solar PV projects but the supervisory authorities.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has in a row extended the commissioning deadlines of 7,750 MW grid-connected solar PV power projects under different batches of viability gap funding (VGF) planned under 2^nd phase of National Solar Mission (NSM).

The extension of commissioning dates of the solar power projects extends to the 750 MW project of batch 1, 2000 MW project of batch 3 and 5000 MW project of batch 4 of the 2^nd phase of NSM.

MNRE has also permitted the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to set the next commissioning dates within the maximum period of six months from the previously set commissioning date.

Further, the ministry does not hold the developers responsible for the delay in the commissioning of the solar PV projects.

However, the extension has been accredited to the delays in either procurement of land or land leases from the state government or authorities. The notice also mentions delay of setting up external evacuation system either by solar parks or state authorities as one of the reason of extension.

According to the market experts, the extension has been seen as a roadblock in the Narendra Modi’s government’s solar energy capacity target of 100 GW by the year 2022. The roadblock represents the mismatching views of the centre and the state governments.