GIPCL Commissions 75 MW Solar Plant in Gujarat

Gujarat Industries Power Company Ltd. (GIPCL) has announced the commissioning of a 75 MW solar PV power plant at Gujarat Solar Park in Patan, Gujarat.

GIPCL had emerged as one of the successful bidders for the 75 MW solar power plant in the e-reverse auction conducted by the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) in September 2017 for 500 MW solar power projects in the state. 

GIPCL has commissioned the solar power project at Gujarat Solar Park, Village Charanka, Dist. Patan, Gujarat, in a phased manner on June 4, 2019, the company said in a regulatory filing. 

Recently, in response to the 1000 MW tendered capacity, and in the third time of asking after having to extend the deadline for the tender twice, GUVNL received bids from only two bidders. Tata Power Renewable Energy and state-owned Gujarat Industries Power Company Ltd (GIPCL), with bids for 250MW and 50MW capacity respectively at a tariff of Rs 2.75 per unit. Tata Power was chosen as the winner through a draw of lots since GUVNL will be allotting only 250MW.

In May, the discom, in its second attempt to auction solar projects worth 700 MW at the Raghanesda Solar Park, received tariff bids which it deemed low enough to award contracts. In the latest round of auctions for 500 MW solar capacity, Electro Solaire Pvt. Ltd. won 200 MW capacity with the L1 bid of Rs 2.65/kWh. Down Rs 0.18/kWh compared to the winning bid from the last time the tender was auctioned in January. State-owned Gujarat State Electricity Corporation was awarded 100 MW capacity with the L2 bid of Rs 2.68/kWh, and Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited (GIPCL) also won the same capacity with their bid of Rs 2.68/kWh.

GUVNL had cancelled the results from the first auction held in January, quoting the winning tariffs between Rs 2.84/kWh and Rs 2.89/kWh to be too high and not feasible.