NLC India commissions 130MW solar project in Tamil Nadu, state drafts forecasting rule changes

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Flickr: Colin Houston

State-run coal mining and power firm NLC India has commissioned a 130MW solar project at Neyveli, in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.

The project is connected to a 33/110kV pooling substation. It made up of two 65MW blocks constructed by two different Indian EPC firms, with the first plant built by BHEL and the second by Jakson Engineers. Both plants used cells and modules sourced domestically.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The project is spread across four locations within Neyveli. It required INR7.53 billion (US$118 million) investment along with INR975 million (US$15.3 million) in viability gap funding (VGF) under the government’s Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) scheme.

A 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) has been signed with state utility TANGEDCO with a tariff of INR5.10/kWh (US$0.08).

An NLC filing on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) said that the firm plans to complete 4GW of solar as part of the government's plans to deploy 175GW of renewables by 2022.

Deviation charges

In related news, the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has published draft regulations for the ‘forecasting, scheduling, and deviation settlement of solar and wind’, which threaten deviation charges for developers in the case of under-injection of power.

The regulations are set to come into force once published in the Tamil Nadu government Gazette, with the related provisions regarding deviation charges and penalties to come into force six months later.

TNERC has invited stakeholders to submit comments on the draft by 27 January 2018.

The regulations apply to all grid-connected solar and wind projects in the state, excluding rooftop PV systems.

Last year, Indian states started to slowly adopt new forecasting rules to force solar energy plant operators and Regional load dispatch centres (RLDCs) to provide more frequent and accurate projections of energy production or face penalties.

Read Next

September 4, 2025
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, the joint forum of the Centre and States, has reduced the GST rate on renewable energy components from 12% to 5%. 
September 4, 2025
Indian solar manufacturer Waaree Energies has acquired a 64% equity stake in power transformer manufacturing company Kotsons.
September 3, 2025
India has added 2.8GW of rooftop solar in H1 2025, a 158% year-on-year surge from just 1.1GW in the same period last year.
September 1, 2025
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has voted to continue the investigation on imported solar cells from India, Indonesia and Laos.
August 28, 2025
Indian solar manufacturing firm INA Solar has broken ground on its fourth 4.5GW cell production plant in Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh.
August 26, 2025
Jakson Engineers is investing over INR80 billion (US$912.5 million) to set up a 6GW integrated solar module, cell, and wafer plant.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines