Tariff falls to new low of Rs 2.83 per unit in 2nd Wind energy auction

Tariff falls to new low of Rs 2.83 per unit in 2nd Wind energy auction

At an auction for 1,000 megawatts of wind power projects that was held late into the evening of 4th October 2017, a steep fall has been witnessed in the wind energy tariffs which dipped to a new low of less than Rs 3 per unit, dropping sharply from the previous record of Rs 3.42.  One bidder offered Rs 2.83 per unit in the second auction of wind projects held by Solar Energy Corporation of India that started on 4th October.

As developers had sought a postponement of auctions, maintaining they needed greater clarity on an order passed by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission last week there was vagueness over whether the auction would be held or not.

Industry experts feels that the steep fall in wind energy tariffs mirrors the trend in solar power and may pose a formidable challenge to conventional thermal plants, many of which generate electricity at much higher rates.