SECI Offers To Mop Up 1000 MW Of Excess Renewable Power

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a Request for Selection (RfS) inviting renewable power developers to supply 1,000 megawatts of excess electricity from projects with existing power purchase agreements (PPAs). The tender, issued on December 26, seeks to optimize surplus generation during solar hours through a tariff-based competitive bidding process.

The scheme, under SECI's -FDRE-VIII tranche, is designed to utilize renewable energy that often remains curtailed or underused. SECI said the initiative will enhance daytime grid availability, support renewable purchase obligations, and improve system flexibility without requiring new capacity additions. Developers with larger portfolios or diversified assets can bid strategically, balancing risk and reward across projects.

Under the RfS, developers should have projects with interstate transmission system-connected energy storage systems. Bidders can propose between 50 MW and 500 MW of contracted capacity, with SECI conducting e-bidding followed by an e-reverse auction. Successful bidders will sign 12-year PPAs with SECI, which will act as the intermediary procurer and sell the power to designated buying entities.

The document specifies a non-refundable fee of ₹50,000 plus GST and a bid processing fee of ₹20,000 per MW, capped at ₹20 million. Developers must also furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹954,000 per MW and a performance bank guarantee of ₹2.385 million per MW.

Projects must ensure a minimum daily supply of 1.5 MWh per MW during solar hours. Any shortfall beyond 25 percent of the requirement will attract penalties at 1.5 times the PPA tariff. SECI has clarified that only projects with existing signed PPAs are eligible, and excess supply must not interfere with contractual obligations under those agreements.

The deadline for bid submission and pre-bid meetings will be announced on the ISN-ETS portal. SECI emphasized that all bids must strictly adhere to the terms of the RfS and that deviations will not be permitted