CERC Directs CTUIL To Reconsider 50.4 MW Connectivity Conversion For Hybrid Project

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has issued its order in a petition involving Sprng Vayu Vidyut Private Limited (SVVPL), the Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL), NTPC Limited, and Sprng Energy Private Limited (SEPL). The case relates to the revocation of connectivity grants and requests for conversion of connectivity routes for the wind components of two hybrid renewable energy projects in Madhya Pradesh.

SVVPL, a subsidiary of SEPL, approached the Commission under the Electricity Act, 2003, and the CERC Connectivity and General Network Access (GNA) Regulations, 2022. The dispute concerns the wind components of two hybrid projects comprising 82.5 MW under Project A and 49.5 MW under Project B. The company held three connectivity grants at the Rajgarh Substation, originally approved under the 2009 Connectivity Regulations and later transitioned to the 2022 GNA framework. These included 55.44 MW (Tranche A), 50.40 MW (Tranche B), and 50.40 MW (Tranche C).

CTUIL had issued notices revoking all three connectivity grants, stating that SVVPL failed to achieve the Commercial Operation Date (COD) within six months of the Scheduled Commercial Operation Date (SCOD), as required under Regulation 24.6 of the GNA Regulations. Tranches A and B were revoked on February 25, 2026, while Tranche C was revoked on March 5, 2026.

SVVPL challenged the revocations, arguing that the relevant regulation should not apply to connectivity grants that had transitioned from the earlier regulatory framework. The company also sought permission to convert its connectivity from the Land Route to the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) or Letter of Award (LOA) route based on agreements executed with NTPC.

After examining the matter, CERC rejected SVVPL’s argument that Regulation 24.6 was inapplicable to transitioned connectivity grants. The Commission observed that once the connectivity agreements were executed under the GNA Regulations, the projects became subject to all provisions of the new regulatory framework. However, it clarified that for transitioned projects, the applicable SCOD should be aligned with the post-transition connectivity start date approved by CTUIL. Based on this interpretation, CERC revised the effective SCOD deadlines to December 15, 2025 for Tranche A, September 30, 2025 for Tranche B, and February 28, 2026 for Tranche C.

Regarding the conversion requests, the Commission directed CTUIL to reconsider the conversion of Tranche B (50.4 MW) to the PPA route, noting that SVVPL had submitted the application before the revised revocation timeline and had already executed the NTPC PPA before the connectivity commencement date. However, CERC upheld CTUIL’s rejection of the proposed 32.1 MW partial conversion of Tranche A, observing that partial conversions were not permitted under the regulations in force at the time of the application. It also upheld the rejection of the Tranche C conversion request because the NTPC Letter of Award had been issued to parent company SEPL rather than to SVVPL, the holder of the connectivity grant.

The Commission also took note of the project’s execution status. CTUIL confirmed that SVVPL had completed the dedicated transmission line, the 220/33 kV pooling station, and the foundations for 31 wind turbine generators (WTGs). The company also completed trial runs for 22 WTGs, representing 72.6 MW of capacity, between June 28 and June 30, 2026, and received a Trial Run Certificate from the Western Regional Load Despatch Centre (WRLDC) on July 3, 2026. SVVPL further informed the Commission that it would pay any compensatory charges determined under the applicable regulations to avoid the stranding of transmission capacity.