Bihar (BERC) Gives Green Signal to 600 MW Solar Purchases From SECI

• BERC has allowed the procurement at a tariff of Rs 2.50/ kWh as well as the trading margin has been kept at Rs 0.07 for every kWh.
• The commission order located that SECI tariff was competitive and also less than DISCOMs' average cost of power purchase for financial year 2022-23.

The Bihar Electricity Regulatory Commission (BERC) has given nod to procurement of 600 MW of solar power from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) in Tranche-VIII by the distribution companies (DISCOMS). BERC has enabled the procurement at a tariff of Rs 2.50/ kWh. The trading margin has actually been maintained by the regulatory authority at Rs 0.07 for each kWh.

Bihar State Power Holding Company or BSPHC had filed an instant suit on behalf of all DISCOMs of Bihar whereby it sought approval for the purchase of 600 MW of solar energy from SECI. The procurement was to be held under the interstate transmission system programme.

The request before BERC sought approval for a long-term basis of the solar power purchase including Power Sale Agreement (PSA)

The procurement and supply was linked to SECI's 2020 tender for 1200 MW of solar power where SBE Renewable Fifteen was granted 600 MW in reverse public auction at Rs 2.50. kWh. Bihar State Power Holding Company said that the procurement of 600MW of solar energy will certainly meet the renewable purchase obligation or RPO target as the anticipated renewable purchase obligation or RPO for solar energy was revealing continued deficiency till year 2029-30.

The BERC order discovered that SECI tariff was affordable and lower than DISCOMs' average price of power purchase for financial year 2022-23. BERC likewise stated that renewable resource acquisition is valid in the direction of fulfilling the renewable purchase obligation targets.

BERC also held that SECI sold renewable power to different states of India at found prices. SECI also marketed to the DISCOMs of Bihar on similar lines. It BERC order checked out that for the fostering of instantaneous uncovered price, Central Electricity Regulation Commission (CERC) was the appropriate body.

The Central Government had actually fixed a target of 2,969 MW of solar power for Bihar to be accomplished by 2022 to permit the nation to attain 100 GW of solar based power generation. The state remains based on outside procurement in the meantime, with interior solar generation yet to go across also 500 MW till date.