Chennai, Sep 29 — The Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) plans to launch an online portal on October 1 for applications for new solar, wind and hybrid power projects, as the state seeks to expand renewable generation amid continuing power outages.
The corporation discussed the proposed procedure with renewable energy developers and investors at an online meeting on Monday and invited their suggestions. The application process will have ten stages and will cover requests for grid connectivity, officials said.
According to a TNGECL official, applicants must first provide basic project details and pay an application fee and security deposit.
The Superintending Engineer (Solar) will validate a proposal within 10 days. Developers must answer any requests for clarification within 30 days.
Once a proposal is accepted, a feasibility report will be prepared. Applicants will then have six months to submit land documents. Construction can begin after the required clearances are obtained and the connectivity process is completed, the official said.
TNGECL aims to add at least 1,500 MW of solar capacity along with battery energy storage systems by the end of the current financial year, a senior official said.
The storage systems are intended to help manage fluctuations in solar generation and improve power availability during periods of high demand. K. Venkatachalam of the Renewable Energy Producers Association said the portal would formalise the submission of proposals for wind, solar and hybrid projects, including those with battery storage. He sought clarity, however, on the forms developers would have to use.
The Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission has already issued a detailed procedure and prescribed formats for applications seeking connectivity to the intra-state transmission system, he said.
TNGECL has yet to clarify whether it will use those formats or introduce new ones.
Venkatachalam also questioned some documents listed in the proposed process. He said environmental impact assessment clearance from the Union environment ministry and consent orders from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board were shown as mandatory, although renewable energy projects are exempt from those requirements.
He said the process also appeared to require a Unique ID from the Central Electricity Authority before commissioning. Such an ID can be obtained only after a project is commissioned, making it impossible to provide at the application stage, he said.
TNGECL has sought industry feedback but has not indicated whether it will revise the disputed requirements before the portal opens.