SECI cancels 1,000 MW FDRE-VIII tender for surplus renewable energy
The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has cancelled its 1,000 MW Firm and Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE)-VIII tender, nearly six months after issuing it on December 26, 2025. The tender was intended to procure surplus renewable energy from existing projects for supply to the Ministry of Power (MoP) under a 12-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
The tender was designed to utilise excess renewable energy that would otherwise remain curtailed or underutilised, without requiring additional generation capacity.
Objective of the tender
The FDRE-VIII tender aimed to establish a benchmark tariff for surplus electricity from existing round-the-clock (RTC) renewable energy projects, which are typically oversized to ensure contractual power delivery. It was also expected to improve daytime grid availability, support Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPOs), and enhance grid flexibility by making use of excess generation.
The tender was open to developers with existing projects connected to the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) and supported by an Energy Storage System (ESS).
Tender conditions
Under the bid conditions, eligible projects were required to supply a minimum of 1.5 MWh per MW each day during solar hours.
Any shortfall exceeding 25% of the stipulated supply requirement would have attracted penalties at 1.5 times the applicable PPA tariff. SECI had also specified that only projects with existing signed PPAs were eligible and that the supply of surplus power should not affect developers’ contractual obligations under those agreements.
SECI has not publicly stated the reason for cancelling the tender.
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