The Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) has heard a dispute between Solarcraft Power India 3 Private Limited and Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) concerning a 200 MW wind power project in Gir Somnath, Gujarat.
Solarcraft Power signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with GUVNL on December 14, 2022. The project’s scheduled commercial operation date (SCOD) was initially December 13, 2024. GUVNL later extended the SCOD to April 10, 2025, resulting in a revised long-stop date of October 7, 2025.
The developer has approached GERC seeking financial relief and additional time for project commissioning. Solarcraft has requested a refund of Rs 20.62 crore in liquidated damages collected by GUVNL for delays, along with applicable interest. It has also sought the return of Rs 18.53 crore collected as termination compensation for 38.3 MW of capacity that could not be commissioned.
Solarcraft has asked the commission to condone 178 days of delay in commissioning 161.7 MW of capacity, arguing that the delays were caused by force majeure events beyond its control. According to the developer, the cumulative impact of various events was 1,351 days, which reduced to 793 days after accounting for overlapping periods. However, it limited its formal claim to 178 days for relief from liquidated damages under the PPA.
The developer said it had earlier requested a 154-day extension in July 2024, but GUVNL granted only 71 days. Solarcraft stated that GUVNL did not provide a written explanation for rejecting the remaining 83 days.
Solarcraft identified 14 force majeure events that affected project development. These included the need to change the project site after NOC applications were rejected by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, resulting in 138 days of delay. Cyclone Biparjoy caused another 30 days of disruption, while prolonged rainfall during 2023, 2024 and 2025 reportedly caused 182 days of impact.
Right of Way (RoW) disputes with local farmers also delayed transmission infrastructure. Solarcraft cited 299 days of delay on the Zudvadli transmission line, 114 days on the Kansari line and 39 days on the Pranchi line. Other issues included delays in statutory approvals, sub-station layout changes, 90 days required for RTU installation, and 21 days of supply and labour disruptions linked to border hostilities.
Solarcraft also alleged that GUVNL had made a double recovery by collecting both liquidated damages and termination compensation for the 38.3 MW uncommissioned capacity.
GERC has allowed Solarcraft to submit a consolidated amended petition by September 5, 2026, while GUVNL can file its revised response by September 18, 2026. The next hearing is scheduled for October 1, 2026.
