APTEL Orders Tariff Review For 10 MW Punjab Rooftop Solar
ECONOMY & POLICY

APTEL Orders Tariff Review For 10 MW Punjab Rooftop Solar

The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) granted partial relief to Radiance Punjab Renewable Private Limited in a dispute over its 10 megawatt (MW) rooftop solar project in Punjab. The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) had reduced the contracted tariff from Rs seven point five nine per kWh to Rs five point zero nine per kWh after recognising only a 29-day delay in achieving the Commercial Operation Date (COD). The developer contested the order and sought recognition of further delays as Force Majeure.

The project began in March 2015 when the developer's predecessor won a competitive bid by the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) and signed an Implementation Agreement and a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The PPA required commissioning within 10 months. The company said factors beyond its control caused the delays.

In its appeal the company identified three delay periods: a 41-day lapse in regulatory approval of the PPA, 127 days lost to site finalisation and grid connectivity, and a 10-day disruption from the Jat agitation. The state utilities argued the developer failed to issue a formal Force Majeure notice, but APTEL observed that a PPA becomes enforceable only after State Commission approval and that the delay in approval was the responsibility of the state utility, so it allowed the 41-day extension. The Tribunal upheld PSERC's calculation on the site and grid delays.

APTEL declined relief for the 10-day Jat agitation period because the developer had not served the mandatory contractual notice. The tribunal partly allowed the appeal and directed PSERC to recalculate delays for each of the nine rooftop solar sites and to determine the applicable tariff on the revised timelines. Regulators will therefore revisit tariff outcomes for the affected projects.

The Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) granted partial relief to Radiance Punjab Renewable Private Limited in a dispute over its 10 megawatt (MW) rooftop solar project in Punjab. The Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) had reduced the contracted tariff from Rs seven point five nine per kWh to Rs five point zero nine per kWh after recognising only a 29-day delay in achieving the Commercial Operation Date (COD). The developer contested the order and sought recognition of further delays as Force Majeure. The project began in March 2015 when the developer's predecessor won a competitive bid by the Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) and signed an Implementation Agreement and a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL). The PPA required commissioning within 10 months. The company said factors beyond its control caused the delays. In its appeal the company identified three delay periods: a 41-day lapse in regulatory approval of the PPA, 127 days lost to site finalisation and grid connectivity, and a 10-day disruption from the Jat agitation. The state utilities argued the developer failed to issue a formal Force Majeure notice, but APTEL observed that a PPA becomes enforceable only after State Commission approval and that the delay in approval was the responsibility of the state utility, so it allowed the 41-day extension. The Tribunal upheld PSERC's calculation on the site and grid delays. APTEL declined relief for the 10-day Jat agitation period because the developer had not served the mandatory contractual notice. The tribunal partly allowed the appeal and directed PSERC to recalculate delays for each of the nine rooftop solar sites and to determine the applicable tariff on the revised timelines. Regulators will therefore revisit tariff outcomes for the affected projects.

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

NABARD, NaBFID Partner to Fund Rural Infrastructure

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on financing infrastructure projects with significant rural impact.The partnership combines NABARD’s expertise in rural and agricultural infrastructure with NaBFID’s specialised infrastructure financing capabilities. It will focus on joint financing, knowledge sharing and developing financing solutions to improve access to long-term, competitively priced capital for rural infrastructure an..

Next Story
Infrastructure Energy

Advait Energy Wins Rs 1.34 Billion MPPTCL Order

Advait Energy Transitions (AETL) has secured a Rs 1.34 billion turnkey contract from Madhya Pradesh Power Transmission Co. Ltd. (MPPTCL) for the design, manufacturing and supply of Emergency Restoration Systems (ERS) for 400kV, 220kV and 132kV EHV transmission lines.The order, received against Tender No. TR-23/2025 on August 25, 2026, will be executed over 18 months. The contract value, inclusive of taxes, covers the complete ERS along with the required accessories.Emergency Restoration Systems are used to restore transmission infrastructure following disruptions, helping maintain continuity a..

Next Story
Real Estate

Gradiant expands Coimbatore engineering centre

Gradiant has expanded its Global Engineering Center (GEC) in Coimbatore, more than doubling its engineering workforce from approximately 100 to over 200 professionals as it strengthens its global project execution capabilities.The expanded centre will bring together multidisciplinary expertise across process engineering, detailed design and project engineering, enabling the India team to take on greater responsibility for the engineering and design of Gradiant’s international projects.According to Govind Alagappan, COO, Gradiant, Coimbatore’s engineering talent and industrial heritage make..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement