Even after the deadline was extended by two months when the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) received no response, it canceled the tender for the 100 MW Getalsud Dam floating solar project in Ranchi, Jharkhand.
The cancellation follows a well-known pattern of challenges faced by floating solar projects in India. The roadblock appears to stem from both technical and bidding prices, as is seen in the case of the Rihand Dam floating solar project, which for all practical purposes appears to be stalled for the time being.
However, the record for date extensions is held by the small floating solar project to be built at Nangal Pond in Himachal. It underwent 15 date expansions before finally being taken over by PSU SJVN for execution. Still waiting for updates on SJVN’s success with the same.
Although SECI did not provide a reason for the cancellation of Getalsud, sources claim that there were problems related to both the technical parameters and the pricing of the offers, which caused the eventual cancellation.
So far, despite the volatility of international markets, bidders of industrial-scale solar projects have been aggressive in tendering, pricing below the informal rate of Rs 2.70 / unit, which is not doing well with buyers.
For Jharkhand, the cancellation will be disappointing as the state lags behind adding solar capacity and relies on corporate miners and cement producers to create MW power projects in the state.
This is a syndicate news-feed; research and edited by Clean-Future