MNRE Allows Time Extension for RE Projects with Conditions

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has granted a time extension in the scheduled commissioning date (SCD) of renewable energy (RE) projects amidst disruption caused due to the second wave of COVID-19 cases with certain conditions.

The Ministry said that RE projects being implemented through implementing agencies designated by the MNRE having their SCD on or after April 01, 2021, would be eligible to claim time-extension for completion of their project activities.

The actual quantum of time-extension shall be decided in due course depending on the COVID-19 related developments that take place in the coming weeks, it further said.

However, such time-extensions were not to be used as a ground for claiming termination of power purchase agreement (PPA) or for claiming any increase in the project cost, the Ministry said.

The Ministry said that while there’re no instructions from the central government for a countrywide lockdown, several states have taken various measures such as night curfew and weekend lockdown to contain the spread.

Last year, the ministry provided a 5 months blanket time-extension for RE projects considering Covid-induced lockdown.