Despite discovering builders are able to promote solar energy as little as Rs 1.99 per unit, the Gujarat authorities purchased over 6,200 million models of solar energy at costs ranging between Rs 9.13 and Rs 15 per unit from personal energy producers during the last 5 years.
The information, tabled by the state authorities within the just lately concluded funds session of the state legislature, reveals that between April 2015 and March 2020, Gujarat purchased solar energy from a complete of 61 personal gamers beneath the Solar Power Policy, 2009. Of the these personal entities, 38 bought energy to Gujarat at Rs 15 per unit, whereas the remaining 23 gamers bought at Rs 9.13 to Rs 13.59 per unit.
Apart from the 6,200 million models of solar energy, the state authorities purchased an extra 573 million models of energy from the identical 61 personal gamers from April to September, 2020, the federal government acknowledged in its written reply to an unstarred query posed by Congress MLA from Chotta Udepur, Mohansinh Rathwa.
Gujarat authorities buys energy from completely different entities via Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL).
During this five-year interval, the utmost solar energy has been purchased from Adani Power Limited, which bought 328 million models at Rs 15 per unit. There was a ten.2 per cent rise within the quantum of energy purchased from the Adani Group.
The authorities purchased greater than 200 million models of energy at Rs 15 per unit price from every of the personal entities together with Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (210 million models), GMR Gujarat Solar Ltd (200 million models), Lorox Bio Energy Ltd (208 million models), Roha Dyechem Pvt Ltd (209 million models), and Alex Astral Power Pvt Ltd (207 million models).
Only 14 million models had been purchased from Texas Infrastructure and Project Pvt Ltd, which bought at Rs 9.13 per unit — the most affordable energy among the many 61 gamers.
Experts within the energy sector in Gujarat declare that although the value of solar energy has dropped significantly, the federal government has continued to pay the 2010 charges to personal companies. For occasion, in an public sale for 500 MW of photo voltaic initiatives carried out by GUVNL in December 2020, Rs 1.99 per unit was the bottom bid. GUVNL officers mentioned the state authorities is paying Rs 15 per unit as per the Power Purchase Agreements of 2010-11.
“There are judgments of Supreme Court related to our PPAs that they cannot be reopened. Moreover, in renewables it is largely a one-time investment which companies need to recover,” an official of GUVNL mentioned.