Competitive procurement means renewables-plus-storage can beat coal, India’s solar industry says

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email
A microgrid in Uttar Pradesh, India. Now renewables at large-scale, with the help of energy storage, are ‘pricing out coal’. Image: Dynapower / Raychem.

A 1.2GW hybrid tender in India coupling pumped hydro, batteries, solar and wind power has achieved tariffs that are highly competitive against coal power, according to prominent industry figures.

While the procurer, Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), cannot reveal the exact tariffs until they are approved by the board of directors, Sanjay Sharma, general manager at SECI, confirmed to Energy-Storage.news’ sister site PV Tech that the prices are “attractive” when compared to thermal power.

Meanwhile, Pranav Mehta, chairman of the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), said in a release that with the winning tariffs from this tender “thermal power in India has become priced out”.

Issued by SECI last August, this first-of-its-kind pan-India tender requested a firm power supply of 600MW for 6 hours per day during the peak demand hours of 5.30-9.30AM and 5.30PM-00.30AM, on a day-ahead on-demand basis. Storage capacity of at least 3,000MWh would also be needed to achieve these firm power requirements.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

To read the full version of this story, visit PV Tech.

31 October 2025
Greater Noida, India

Read Next

July 30, 2025
Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co (MSEDCL) has launched a multi-gigawatt battery storage tender supported by Viability Gap Funding (VGF).
July 21, 2025
Argentina has received more than 1.3GW of energy storage applications for its first battery energy storage system (BESS) tender.
July 10, 2025
Tenders for 171GWh of energy storage capacity have been launched in India, including more than 55GWh in the first half of 2025 alone.
July 8, 2025
Renewable energy IPP ACME Solar has placed orders with two Chinese system integrators for battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in India.
June 24, 2025
India’s renewable energy-adjacent battery storage sector rolls on, with new procurement and regulatory moves from SECI and CEA.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter