SECI's round-the-clock renewable bid hits Rs 5.25/unit, below expectations
SECI's latest RTC renewable tender discovered Rs 5.25/unit tariff, aided by hybrid solar-wind-storage and competitive bidding.
The Solar Energy Corporation of India's (SECI) latest round-the-clock (RTC) renewable energy tender has yielded a tariff of Rs 5.25 per unit, a figure that came in lower than government expectations, according to Santosh Sarangi, Secretary of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
Speaking at the 7th CII International Energy Conference and Exhibition in New Delhi on Friday, Sarangi attributed the outcome to intense competition among developers. "We expected the price to be very high, but thanks to the competitive spirit among our developers, we discovered a rate of Rs 5.25 per unit for RE RTC," he said.
The tender mandates 90 per cent assured power availability in every time block, with solar contributing only half of the daytime supply. This structure, Sarangi noted, demonstrates the viability of hybrid renewable solutions in delivering reliable power.
India has now crossed 300 GW of installed renewable energy capacity, Sarangi said, keeping the country on track for its 500 GW non-fossil fuel target by 2030. He credited policy stability, domestic manufacturing, and market-creation efforts for the progress.
On manufacturing, Sarangi highlighted India's 213 GW solar module capacity and over 32 GW solar cell capacity, while noting that nearly 85 per cent of wind energy manufacturing has been indigenised. He also said the PM Surya Ghar scheme has covered more than 50 lakh households, moving toward its goal of one crore rooftop solar installations.
On regional cooperation, Sarangi stressed that cross-border electricity trade needs harmonised regulations, not just transmission lines. He pointed to the One Sun, One World, One Grid initiative as a way for countries across time zones to share renewable resources efficiently.
At the conference, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh signed an MoU for a knowledge partnership on renewable energy, focusing on best practices including reactive power management. The Bhopal-based Centre for Mission of Energy Transition will support the exchange.
In a session on shared energy systems, Sri Lanka's Energy Minister Anura Karunathilake, Bhutan's Director General of Energy Karma P. Dorji, and former Economic Relations Secretary Dammu Ravi called for stronger regional grid integration and regulatory alignment to boost energy security and accelerate South Asia's clean energy transition.