India Urges Clean Energy Bodies to Sign Purchase Deals

• REIAs to sign direct PPAs for ~50 GW stranded renewables, bypassing buyers.
• 42 GW of 93 GW tendered unsold; NHPC (15.8 GW) leads stranded projects.
• November 30 deadline; supports 500 GW non-fossil goal by 2030.

As​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ per a ministry document, India's power ministry has directed renewable energy implementation agencies (REIAs) to go ahead and directly sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) with developers of stranded clean energy projects that do not have buyers. This operation encounters the local barriers of an incomplete transmission infrastructure and regulation by the authorities which have been responsible for about 50 gigawatts of renewable capacity to be left inoperative.

REIAs, which buy power from different generators and then sell it to end-users, have the liberty now to go ahead without any prior commitments from buyers or decide to cancel the tenders if they see that it is not feasible. The decision is based on the findings of a high-level meeting held on October 17 and led by Power Secretary Pankaj Agarwal and attended by major REIAs: NTPC, NHPC, SJVN, and the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI).

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Presentation of the meeting shows that out of 93 gigawatts that have been tendered since the 2024 fiscal year, as much as 42 gigawatts are without buyers. NHPC has the largest volume of the unsold portfolio which amounts to 15.8 gigawatts, trailed by NTPC (12.4 gigawatts), SJVN (10 gigawatts), and SECI (3.9 gigawatts). SECI has taken the initiative to terminate several unviable tenders.

REIAs should meet the requirement by November 30, 2025. With this action, the government intends to have the projects done faster, lessen the risks for developers, and be in line with India's ambitious target of 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel-based capacity by 2030, thus ensuring energy security and ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌sustainability.