The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) has rejected a petition filed by Continuum Power Trading Private Limited (CPTPL) seeking permission to commission its 36 MW Meghpar wind power project in Kutch, Gujarat, in phases. The Commission ruled that developers must complete trial runs for the entire capacity for which connectivity has been granted before commissioning the project.
Continuum had requested relaxation of Regulation 22(3)(c) of the Indian Electricity Grid Code (IEGC), 2023, to allow commissioning of the project in smaller batches of at least 5 MW as individual wind turbine generators (WTGs) became technically ready. The company argued that waiting for the complete 36 MW capacity would delay operations and prevent early power generation.
The developer stated that delays in obtaining connectivity approval from the Central Transmission Utility of India Ltd. (CTUIL) affected its commissioning timeline. Continuum had applied for connectivity on July 20, 2024, with a scheduled commercial operation date (SCOD) of March 31, 2025. However, the in-principle connectivity grant was issued on May 23, 2025, followed by the final grant on August 14, 2025.
Continuum argued that the delayed connectivity and deferred start date were beyond its control and should be treated as a force majeure situation. The company informed CERC that around 21 MW of the project capacity was ready for commissioning and that allowing phased commissioning would help avoid renewable energy assets remaining idle. It also stated that early commissioning could allow electricity sales through power exchanges and help maintain eligibility for transmission charge benefits.
CERC, however, rejected these arguments and stated that connectivity can only be provided from the date when the transmission system is available or expected to become available. The Commission observed that the delay in connectivity approval did not qualify as a force majeure event.
The regulator further noted that even if the in-principle connectivity had been granted earlier, the developer would still have had limited time to complete the project. CERC stated that the developer had sufficient time after receiving the final connectivity approval but failed to complete the project within the available period.
On the regulatory requirement, CERC clarified that Regulation 22(3)(c) of IEGC, 2023 requires a trial run for the complete capacity where connectivity has been granted under the General Network Access (GNA) framework. Since Continuum received connectivity for 36 MW, the trial run must be conducted for the entire 36 MW capacity in a single batch.
The Commission also noted that developers are aware of these requirements while applying for connectivity and found no reason to relax the regulation in this case. Accordingly, Continuum’s petition seeking permission for phased commissioning was dismissed.
The order reinforces CERC’s strict approach towards grid code compliance and indicates that delays in connectivity approvals or commercial considerations will not automatically justify relaxation of commissioning and trial run requirements for renewable energy projects.
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