Central Electricity Regulatory Commission of India has directed NTPC to adopt the tariff of Rs. 2.43 per kWh for the procurement of power from a 200 MW solar power project. The decision came in response to a petition filed by NTPC under the Electricity Act, 2003, seeking approval for the tariff discovered through competitive bidding.
The company had issued a request for selection in February 2020, followed by an e-reverse auction on 6 August 2020, and five bids were received.
The final tariff was decided at Rs. 2.43 per kWh, and O2 Power SG PTE Ltd. won the auction for a 400 MW solar project. The company had entered into a power purchase agreement with Xl Xergi Power Private Limited for 200 MW on 14 July 2022. As per the agreement, NTPC was entitled to a tariff of Rs. 2.50 per kWh, inclusive of a mutually agreed trading margin of Rs. 0.07 per kWh, to be paid to GRIDCO Ltd.
The commission, however, directed NTPC to pay Rs. 2.43 per kWh to GRIDCO Ltd. for procurement of 200 MW solar PV power project as discovered through competitive bidding. None of the respondents had filed any reply to the petition.
 has approved the adoption of NTPC's tariff of INR 2.43 per kWh for a 200 MW solar power project in Rajasthan. The project is expected to generate clean energy and provide a boost to the state's power generation capacity. The decision by CERC is expected to promote the adoption of solar power projects across India.){kind=link}