An inaugural RES auction offering 200 MW for photovoltaics with batteries, scheduled to take place March, will require successful bidders to accept greater grid-injection limits.

The starting price for this auction, still unknown, will be set at a higher level than usual as the cost of incorporating batteries to photovoltaics will be factored in.

It will serve as a pilot procedure that will help shape new auctions to be established by the energy ministry for RES installations.

Current RES auction terms and conditions are expected to soon undergo major changes, which, as a result, will include limiting participation to bidders committing to electrify their projects by specific dates.

The energy ministry plans to announced the March auction in February. Besides its starting price, to be set by a special committee established by the ministry to oversee matters concerning RES penetration, other auction details that remain pending include battery-type and battery-duration standards.

It is already considered certain that investors behind older projects possessing connection terms will need to commit to accepting higher grid-injection restrictions than the current 28 percent level, set in 2022. The aforementioned committee will also be setting these new rates, possibly at levels of between 40 and 50 percent.