By Abbas Nazil
ACME Solar Holdings has won 130 MW of renewable energy capacity in the e-reverse auction for REMC’s 1,000 MW Round-the-Clock renewable energy project, marking a major step forward in India’s efforts to procure firm, dispatchable green power for high-demand public infrastructure.
The company secured the capacity at a tariff of ₹4.35 per unit, and according to reports the letter of award is expected to be issued within the timeframe stipulated in the tender.
The awarded power will be supplied directly to Indian Railways, which requires uninterrupted electricity throughout the day due to its continuous and nationwide operational load.
Under the framework of this tender, the Railways will sign direct power purchase agreements with the selected developers, allowing it to source stable renewable power without depending solely on conventional energy sources.
The auction demonstrated the growing capability of renewable energy systems—supported by co-located solar, wind and energy-storage technologies—to provide round-the-clock electricity at competitive rates that rival or even undercut thermal generation.
As per the bid conditions, ACME Solar must deliver renewable electricity backed by dispatchable sources along with advanced energy storage systems from ISTS-connected projects, ensuring firm power delivery in line with the tender’s strict reliability clauses.
The company is required to maintain a minimum annual availability of 75% for the first three years after the project becomes operational, and subsequently increase availability to 85% per year.
To meet these requirements, ACME Solar will integrate a combination of large-scale solar installations, battery-energy storage solutions and wind-power capacity when necessary to stabilise output during low-solar or high-load periods.
The firm has been allotted 30 months from the date of signing the power purchase agreement to complete commissioning of the project, reflecting the scale and technical complexity involved in establishing a fully dispatchable renewable-energy system.
ACME Solar noted that the upcoming project will benefit from land availability and established transmission access within its existing asset base, which is expected to accelerate development timelines and reduce integration challenges.
Industry observers view ACME’s winning bid as evidence that RTC renewable-energy models are becoming commercially viable at scale, supported by improvements in storage technology, hybrid plant design and grid-integration frameworks.
The project is also seen as a milestone for Indian Railways, which is one of the country’s largest electricity consumers and is working toward ambitious energy-transition targets, including expanded use of renewables and reduced dependence on conventional power.
The success of this auction is likely to encourage further investment in RTC solutions, which industry analysts describe as essential for India’s broader renewable-energy goals, especially as utilities and large public institutions seek high-availability green power at predictable prices.
