The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission recently heard an important case related to the development of solar power in the state. The case, known as Petition No. 2501 of 2025, was filed by Suyog Life Sciences Pvt. Limited and Suyog Dye Chemie Pvt. Limited against Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited and Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited.
The companies had planned to set up a 2.48 MW solar power plant in Bharuch for captive use. They approached the Commission seeking more time to complete the project. They also requested that their grid connectivity and open access should not be cancelled and that no penalty or default charges should be imposed while the matter was under review.
As per the existing rules under GERC Order No. 06 of 2024, solar projects between 1 MW and 100 MW must be completed within 12 months from the date of transmission capacity allotment. In this case, the deadline for the developers was March 15, 2025. However, the companies said they could not meet the timeline due to several unexpected challenges.
They explained that heavy and irregular monsoon conditions made the project site difficult to access and slowed down construction work such as piling and casting. They also faced delays in getting approvals from the forest department because of the presence of Sag trees on the land. In addition, supply chain issues at both global and domestic levels delayed the delivery of key equipment like solar modules and transformers. The companies also claimed that there were delays from DGVCL in approving meter serial numbers and finalising agreements.
On the other hand, DGVCL argued that meeting project deadlines is the responsibility of the developers. It said that monsoon conditions are normal and cannot be considered unforeseen without strong proof. The utility also stated that the petitioners delayed placing orders and submitting bank guarantees, which added to the delay. Based on this, DGVCL defended its decision to encash bank guarantees worth ₹12.5 lakh due to the missed deadline.
GETCO clarified that since the project operates at the 11 kV level, the responsibility for connectivity and related actions mainly lies with DGVCL.
The developers informed the Commission that they had already invested more than ₹9 crore in the project and that the plant was close to completion. By the end of 2025, they had renewed their bank guarantees and completed testing of important metering systems.
The case highlights the challenges faced by solar developers and the need to balance strict timelines with real ground-level difficulties in renewable energy projects.
Discover more from SolarQuarter
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
