E-bidding portal, e-reverse auction process in power transmission launched
Power Minister Piyush Goyal launched tariff-based reverse auction process in the transmission sector and also inaugurated an electronic bidding portal for transmission projects. Goyal also launched the "TARANG" (Transmission App for Real Time Monitoring and Growth) mobile application in New Delhi. E-bidding web portals - e-Trans and DEEP (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price) - developed by the Rural Electrification Corporation have also been launched.
Replacing the conventional tendering process with e-bidding
The Centre replaced the traditional tendering process with an electronic bidding platform for power purchase by state power distributors. Making the procurement process transparent and efficient, Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price (DEEP) e-bidding reverse auction portal was launched. The portal was developed on the basis of the Guidelines for Medium Term Procurement of Power notified by the Centre in 2015 and amended in May'15.
Lower rates of power for short-term procurement
Through the DEEP portal, eight states obtained lower rates of power for short-term procurement and 18,000 MW was requisitioned. Uttarakhand, Kerala, Jharkhand, Bihar, Punjab, Assam, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and private DISCOMs like NPCL and Torrent Power had conducted e-bidding.
Why e-bidding and e-reverse auction?
Piyush Goyal said that through the introduction of e-bidding and e-reverse auction for a medium-term (1-5 years), the time span to complete the bidding process and procurement cost of power is expected to come down and thereby to benefit the consumers.
Discovering better price in transmission projects
Piyush Goyal said the reverse auction introduced in the transmission sector would facilitate the discovery of better prices in transmission projects. The e-bidding portal marks a shift to the electronic mode for determining lowest bidders from the manual auction process being utilized currently. The Centre had earlier launched a facility to buy power for a short-term (one day to one year).
Information on transmission projects and buying power
The TARANG app would give information on transmission projects that have been delayed along with the issues that halted them and also monitor the Green Energy Corridors. The DEEP e-bidding web portal allows buying power for a medium term - between 1-5 years. It is expected that the e-bidding portal would extend the facility for long-term power purchase - for over a five-year period.
Powerful monitoring tool
Goyal stated: "TARANG is a powerful monitoring tool that tracks upcoming transmission projects and monitors the progress of inter-state and intra-state transmission systems in the country, being developed through regulated tariff mechanism as well as Tariff Based Competitive Bidding route."
The electronic reverse auction system
Power Minister Piyush Goyal said the electronic reverse auction system is being introduced with the L-1 matching concept. He added that provision of multiple progressive bidding based on the choice of fuel has also been incorporated in the auction system. The previous e-bidding portal for short-term power purchase by electrical DISCOMs (distribution companies of India) was launched on 12 Apr'16.
