West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission Approves 600 MW Wind-Solar Hybrid Power Procurement For CESC At Competitive Tariffs

The West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) has approved the long-term procurement of 600 MW of wind-solar hybrid power by CESC Limited, marking a major step toward strengthening the utility’s renewable energy portfolio and fulfilling its Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO). The order was issued on April 30, 2026, after the completion of a competitive bidding process conducted under the guidelines of the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

To carry out the procurement process transparently and professionally, CESC appointed PFC Consulting Limited (PFCCL) as the Bid Process Coordinator. PFCCL was responsible for preparing the bidding documents, managing the e-bidding and e-reverse auction process, and evaluating the technical and financial bids submitted by developers.

The tender process began in late 2025, with notices published in leading national newspapers across four metro cities. By the bid submission deadline of January 30, 2026, six companies had participated, offering a combined capacity of 900 MW. After a detailed techno-commercial evaluation conducted by the Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC), all six bidders qualified for the financial bidding stage.

The financial bids and e-reverse auction were conducted on February 25, 2026. Following the “bucket-filling” approach, four companies were selected for the project allocations. Vismaya Renewables India Project Private Limited secured 100 MW at a tariff of ₹3.74 per kWh. Hexa Climate Solutions Private Limited won 100 MW at ₹3.75 per kWh. Purvah Green Power Private Limited received the largest allocation of 300 MW at ₹3.75 per kWh, while Sprng Energy Private Limited secured 100 MW at the same tariff.

The Commission observed that the discovered tariffs were highly competitive and significantly lower than CESC’s average power purchase cost of around ₹5.17 per kWh during FY 2024-25. WBERC also pointed out that similar hybrid power procurement in Uttar Pradesh had resulted in a higher tariff of ₹3.84 per kWh, highlighting the cost-effectiveness of the current bidding process.

The selected projects will be developed under the Build Own Operate (BOO) model for a period of 25 years. The projects must maintain a minimum annual Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) of 50% and deliver power through the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS). Power supply from the projects is expected to begin within 20 months from the effective date of the agreements.

In its final observations, WBERC stated that the entire bidding process complied with the Electricity Act, 2003, and emphasized that the lower tariffs would help reduce power purchase costs for consumers. With the official adoption of the tariffs, the commission has cleared the way for the integration of these renewable energy projects into CESC’s long-term power supply mix.