The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has opened a 700 MW tender for inter-state transmission system-connected solar projects designed for commercial and industrial power demand. Published on 3 September 2026, the first C&I tranche asks developers to build, own and operate projects in Special Economic Zones or areas designated as Export Oriented Units. SECI will aggregate the generation through long-term contracts and sell it to an industrial buyer in Odisha. The structure is important because it brings a central renewable-energy intermediary into a segment normally associated with bilateral corporate procurement and state-level open-access arrangements.
A New Central Route for C&I Solar Procurement
The tender, numbered SECI/C&P/IPP/15/0009/26-27, covers an aggregate contracted capacity of 700 MW. Developers may offer a minimum of 50 MW and a maximum of 700 MW, with bids submitted in 10 MW multiples. Selection will use electronic bidding followed by an electronic reverse auction, allowing the final tariff to be discovered competitively rather than set administratively.
SECI will act as the intermediary procurer. It plans to sign a 25-year power purchase agreement with successful solar power developers and sell the contracted electricity to the buying entity on a back-to-back basis. The RfS identifies the end use as an Export Oriented Unit of a C&I consumer in Odisha, while stating that the buyer’s identity will be disclosed later. This arrangement gives the buyer a single contracting interface while preserving competition among developers at the generation stage.
SEZ and EOU Framework Shapes Project Siting
Projects must be established in Special Economic Zones or in areas holding Export Oriented Unit status. The developer can choose the state and location, and a single awarded project may be spread across more than one site and delivery point. The RfS links this framework to the applicable exemption from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers requirements. Developers remain responsible for obtaining and maintaining the required SEZ or EOU status and every associated statutory approval.
That flexibility can widen the field of technically suitable locations, but it also makes early development discipline essential. Land control, solar resource quality, substation capacity, transmission availability and the legal status of the site must work together. A low generation tariff will not compensate for a delayed grid connection or an unsuccessful application for the required project status.
Grid Connection and Delivery Obligations
Each project must connect to the inter-state transmission system in accordance with the prevailing regulations of the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission and technical standards of the Central Electricity Authority. The minimum interconnection voltage is 220 kV. Developers must secure connectivity, arrange the network up to the delivery point, obtain approvals and maintain the dedicated transmission facilities within their scope.
The RfS makes transmission readiness a central bankability issue. A bidder must verify that injection capacity is genuinely available at its selected substation rather than relying only on an attractive solar site. The project location or delivery point may be changed until financial closure, subject to the tender’s connectivity conditions. This creates useful development flexibility, but it also places schedule risk and coordination responsibility on the selected developer.
A Two-Year Delivery Window
The scheduled commencement of full power supply is 24 months from the effective date of the PPA. Financial closure is due six months before that scheduled supply date, with developers required to demonstrate complete funding arrangements and provide procurement details for planned modules and inverters. Delayed supply can trigger proportionate encashment of the performance security, followed by reduction of contracted capacity if the delay continues beyond the permitted period.
The tender does not envisage separate central financial assistance. Commercial competitiveness will therefore depend on tariff discipline, financing cost, engineering choices and execution efficiency. The pre-bid meeting is scheduled for 14 September 2026, online bids close on 5 October, offline submissions close on 7 October and bid opening is planned for 8 October, subject to later amendments on the official portal.
Significance for India’s Corporate Renewable Market
Large industrial consumers increasingly want long-term renewable supply to reduce emissions exposure and gain visibility over power costs. However, procuring generation across state borders requires coordination among developers, transmission agencies, traders, schedulers and the buying entity. SECI’s intermediary role can standardise much of that interface through common PPA and power-sale documentation.
This first C&I tranche may also test whether central competitive procurement can complement the open-access and group-captive routes already used by Indian companies. The critical market signals will be bidder participation, discovered tariff, chosen project locations and the ability to reach connectivity and financial-closure milestones without eroding the supply schedule.
Conclusion
SECI’s 700 MW solicitation is more than another utility-scale solar tender. It creates a dedicated procurement channel connecting interstate solar projects with concentrated industrial demand in Odisha. Its 25-year contract, competitive auction and flexible siting offer scale, while the SEZ/EOU, connectivity and financing obligations keep delivery risk firmly with developers. If the tender produces viable bids and timely projects, it can establish a repeatable central-platform model for corporate renewable procurement in India.
References
SECI – Tender details for 700 MW ISTS solar projects (C&I-1)
SECI’s official tender page records the reference number, publication date, bid calendar, reverse-auction format and downloadable contract documents. https://www.seci.co.in/tender-details/YmV_
SECI – Request for Selection document
The 128-page primary RfS defines project eligibility, the SEZ/EOU structure, 25-year PPA, bid sizes, grid connection, financial closure and supply schedule. https://www.seci.co.in/uploads/tenders/RfS_for_700_MW_SPV_Projects_CnI_T1.pdf
SECI – Standard Power Purchase Agreement
This official agreement sets out the proposed contractual relationship between SECI and selected developers and is relevant to long-term delivery and performance obligations. https://www.seci.co.in/uploads/tenders/SECI_PPA_Solar_CnI_T1.pdf
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