India’s Karnataka to Announce Solar Auction Winners by Next Week

India’s Karnataka state will announce the results of its first auction to award contracts to build solar power plants by next week, a government official said.

The Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Ltd., the state- run agency overseeing the auction, is awaiting clarifications from three of the bidders before it announces the winner, Managing Director N.S. Prasanna Kumar said in an interview in Chennai. They have until this weekend to respond, he said.

Companies including Tata Power, Welspun Group, Kiran Energy Solar Power Pvt. and Jindal Aluminium Ltd. bid for 50 megawatts of photovoltaic capacity, according to KREDL. Bidders for 30 megawatts of solar-thermal projects were Sunborne Energy LLC, backed by billionaire Vinod Khosla, and Atria Power Corp.

The bids were submitted in December. KREDL delayed opening them due to a legal snag after the agency broke a rule requiring government bodies to award contracts through an online procurement system.

Solar-thermal projects use sunlight to heat liquids that produce steam for generators; photovoltaic plants use panels to turn sunlight directly into power.

SOURCE: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-13/india-s-karnataka-state-to-announce-solar-auction-contracts-by-next-week