NVVN's 263 MW Open Access Solar EOI: Should You Apply?

Direct Answer: What Is NVVN Offering, and Is It Worth Applying?

NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), NTPC's power-trading subsidiary, has invited an Expression of Interest (EOI No. NVVN/BD/C&I/EOI/2026-27, dated 11 August 2026) to sell 263 MW of solar power from its operational solar plants to commercial and industrial buyers through open access. Indicative pricing is ₹3.00–3.65/unit, with ISTS (Inter-State Transmission System) charge waivers available on qualifying capacity — well below typical C&I grid tariffs of ₹7–10/unit in Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan and UP.

This is a market-assessment EOI, not a binding tender — NVVN is gauging demand before deciding on bilateral deals or a formal auction. The minimum capacity is 5 MW, but the notice explicitly allows smaller consumers to combine requirements to hit that threshold, which matters for mid-sized C&I buyers who couldn't otherwise access this scale of open-access solar. Applications go by email, not through a portal, and must be in before 1 September 2026.

Status current as of 24 August 2026 — this is a live, time-bound opportunity.

NVVN EOI at a Glance

Parameter	Detail
Issuing entity	NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), NTPC subsidiary
EOI reference	NVVN/BD/C&I/EOI/2026-27
Notice date	11 August 2026
Capacity on offer	263 MW (from NTPC's operational solar plants)
Route	Open access
Indicative price	₹3.00–3.65/unit (final rate negotiated)
ISTS waiver	Available on certain capacity
Minimum capacity per applicant	5 MW (smaller consumers may pool/aggregate)
Eligible entities	C&I consumers, bulk/open-access buyers, discoms, companies/LLPs/consortia with valid GSTIN and PAN
Response deadline	1 September 2026
Submission	Email to nvvncontracts@ntpc.co.in (soft copy)
Binding?	No — market assessment only; may lead to bilateral talks or a later tender

Who Should Actually Consider This?

The notice specifically names aluminium, steel, cement, fertiliser, data centre, metro, airport, SEZ and large commercial establishments as target sectors — heavy, continuous-load consumers who benefit most from a firm open-access supply contract at scale. For a typical Sun Wave client — a factory or warehouse in Faridabad, Gurugram, Jaipur, Noida or Delhi-NCR — the relevant question is load size, not sector: if your combined connected demand across one or more sites is 5 MW or above (or you can pool with sister facilities or neighbouring units to reach it), this is worth a serious look.

At an indicative ₹3.00–3.65/unit landed cost against a typical HT industrial effective tariff of ₹7–9.5/unit (see our state tariff guides for Gurugram, Jaipur and Delhi), the arbitrage is substantial even before accounting for open-access charges, wheeling and cross-subsidy surcharges that apply on top.

What Open Access From NVVN Actually Means for Your Bill

This is not rooftop solar or a captive plant — you're buying power sourced from NTPC's existing operational solar assets and wheeled to your site through the grid, under the open-access framework in your state. Compared to rooftop:

No capex, no roof required. You don't install anything; you sign a power-supply arrangement and pay the negotiated tariff plus applicable open-access charges.
You still pay wheeling, cross-subsidy surcharge (CSS) and additional surcharge (AS), unless the specific capacity carries the stated ISTS waiver or your state's incentive framework reduces these (see our Green Energy Open Access Rules 2022 guide for how these charges phase in and out across states).
The indicative ₹3.00–3.65/unit is the energy price only — model your all-in landed cost including transmission and distribution charges before comparing it to your grid tariff or a rooftop solar quote.
This complements, rather than replaces, rooftop solar. A factory can run rooftop solar for daytime self-consumption and layer open-access power on top for additional load, since the two aren't mutually exclusive under most state frameworks.

How to Respond to the EOI

NVVN wants applicants to indicate, in their EOI response:

Required capacity (minimum 5 MW, or pooled to reach it)
Preferred contract duration (short, medium or long term)
Delivery location (your site's state/discom)
Commercial preferences

There's no prescribed format published, and submissions go directly by email — treat this as an initial expression of interest that establishes your position in the queue, not a binding commitment. Given the 1 September 2026 deadline, factories evaluating this should move quickly: gather your last 12 months of interval load data (the same dataset you'd use to size a rooftop plant — see our factory solar sizing checklist), confirm your discom's current open-access surcharge schedule, and calculate the effective landed cost before committing capacity in your response.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the NVVN EOI a guaranteed power supply contract?

No. NVVN describes this explicitly as a market-assessment exercise. Responding doesn't guarantee a power supply agreement — NVVN will use the responses to decide whether to pursue bilateral negotiations or float a formal tender.

Can a factory below 5 MW load participate?

The EOI states a minimum of 5 MW but allows smaller entities to combine their requirements to meet the threshold — worth exploring with sister facilities, an industrial park operator, or an aggregator if your individual load is smaller.

Is ₹3.00–3.65/unit the final price I'd pay?

No — it's an indicative range for certain capacity with ISTS waivers. Final rates are negotiated, and you'll separately pay your state's open-access charges (wheeling, cross-subsidy surcharge, additional surcharge) unless specifically waived.

How does this compare to installing rooftop solar instead?

They solve different problems. Rooftop solar requires capex (or a RESCO/PPA structure) but gives you a fixed, long-term generation asset on your own site. Open access from NVVN requires no capex but layers ongoing charges on top of the energy price, and depends on transmission availability and your state's open-access rules. Many C&I buyers use both together.

What happens after I submit an EOI response?

NVVN will assess aggregate demand and may initiate bilateral discussions with respondents or issue a subsequent formal tender based on the market response received by 1 September 2026.