Solar power tariffs touch all time low: Goyal

In what has emerged as an all-time low tariff for solar energy, US-based SunEdison has won a bid to sell power at the rate of Rs.4.63 per kilowatt-hour (KWh).

The renewable energy made the bid for its 500 megawatt plant in Andhra Pradesh under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission.

"Delighted that an all time low solar tariff of Rs 4.63 (a kWhr) has been achieved during reverse e-auction conducted by NTPC," Power Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted on Wednesday.

"Delighted that solar tariff in India have broken Rs 5/kWh level. NTPC has received bids of Rs 4.8/ kWh through ongoing reverse e-bidding," he added.

Goyal on Tuesday made the announcement on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum here following the bidding earlier in the day.

Of the 28 companies that qualified for the second round of bidding, nine including Italy's Enel Green Power SpA, Reliance Power Ltd, ReNew Power Ventures Pvt Ltd, Solar Arise, Acme Solar and Orange Renewable Power offered bids under Rs.5 per unit.

Other bidders included Welspun Renewables, Trina Solar and First Solar.

The previous lowest solar tariff was about Rs.5.05 per unit offered by Canadian company SkyPower's for a 150 MW project in Madhya Pradesh.