The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission (HPERC) has approved the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) to procure 550 MW of inter-state transmission system (ISTS) connected solar power from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for a 25-year period. The agreed tariff for the power is Rs 2.56 per kWh, with an additional trading margin of Rs 0.07 per kWh payable to SECI.
The power procurement is part of SECI’s 1,500 MW ISTS-connected solar power projects tender (Tranche XIII). The two solar power developers supplying the power are Sunsure Solarpark Fourteen, with 300 MW, and Tejorupa Renewables India Project, with 250 MW. Both companies won the auction in March 2024.
HPSEBL highlighted a growing demand-supply gap in the state’s power sector, citing a forecasted mismatch between supply and demand due to the continuous growth in electricity demand. The HPERC concurred, acknowledging the need to secure additional power to address this shortfall. The tariff of Rs 2.56 per kWh was determined through a transparent bidding process in accordance with the Ministry of Power guidelines. Additionally, HPERC approved SECI’s trading margin of Rs 0.07 per kWh, referencing the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (CERC) adoption of these tariffs for SECI’s Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Projects (Tranche-VII) connected with ISTS.
However, the Commission stipulated that if SECI failed to provide certain financial securities to the developers, the trading margin would be limited to Rs 0.02 per kWh. Any future reductions in SECI’s trading margin must also be passed on to HPSEBL. Moreover, developers will be responsible for additional transmission charges beyond the current 50 per cent waiver on ISTS charges if they fail to commission the projects and commence power supply from the scheduled commercial operation date.
