Wind power tariff firms at Rs 2.5/unit in SECI auction

Wind power tariff firmed up further to Rs 2.51 per unit in the auction of around 2,000 MW capacities conducted by state-run Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a source said. Wind energy tariffs had reversed their downtrend in February auction to quote at Rs 2.44/unit against all-time low of Rs 2.43/unit in an auction conducted by Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd December last year. In the latest SECI auction, Srijan Energy Systems (250MW), Sprng Energy (300MW), BLP Energy (285), Betam Wind Energy (200), InoxNSE -2.82 % Wind Infrastructure Services (100 MW) and Adani Green Energy (MP) Ltd (300 MW) emerged as successful bidders quoting Rs 2.51 per unit, the source said. The source further said that Mytrah Energy (300 MW) and ReNew Wind Energy (TN) Pvt Ltd (300) are also successful bidder in the auction. According to industry experts, wind power tariff is firming up after dropping to all-time low of Rs 2.43 per unit. Wind power tariff had recovered to Rs 2.44 per unit in the auction for 2000 MW capacities concluded by the SECI in February this year. Of the six successful bidders, four had quoted Rs 2.44 while remaining two bid at Rs 2.45 per unit tariff. The tariff last year started its descend to touch a low of Rs 3.46 in the first round of auction for 1GW capacity by the SECI. The price fell further to Rs 2.64 in the second round of auction for 1 GW by the SECI in October 2017. Industry experts think that the tariff would not fall below the Rs 2.5 per unit level in near future. Low wind power tariffs are a big boost for clean energy in view of India's target of having 60 GW wind energy capacities by 2022. At present, India has an installed wind capacity of 34 GW. The government has planned to auction 10 GW each in 2018- 19 and 2019-20.