SECI is reportedly gearing up to re-launch 5 GW of manufacturing linked solar tender out of the initial 10 GW.
Speaking to ET on the reason for re-tendering, renewable energy minister RK Singh said: “We found that the rate which was initially quoted was unreasonable. We evaluated the bid when it was received as per the prevailing circumstances.”
SECI’s 10GW solar tender that required power generators to set up equipment manufacturing facility got tepid response even after tweaking the tender with increased ceiling tariff.
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)first floated the tender to boost local manufacturing of solar equipment in May this year , however the industry looked disinterested and forced the bid submission to be postponed six times.
Azure Power had bid for 2,000 MW power project linked with 600 MW solar equipment manufacturing capacity, while most of the other players stayed away from tender.
The manufacturing linked tender was tweaked several times to attract the industry players. SECI even increased ceiling tariff for the tender by 10 paise to Rs 2.85 per unit. The tariff was increased after the industry complained of rising interest costs and rupee depreciation dampening the economic viability of the projects required to be set up under the tender.