Assam Power Distribution Company (APDCL) has invited bids to procure 70 MW of power from solar projects to be developed in Dhubri, Assam.

The power purchase agreement (PPA) will be valid for 25 years.

Projects should be commissioned within 18 months from the date of execution of the PPA. Developers must also provide five years of comprehensive operation and maintenance services.

APDCL has set a ceiling tariff of ₹4 (~$0.048)/kWh.

The last day to submit the bids is March 10, 2023. Bids will be opened on March 14.

The cost of the bidding documents is ₹29,500 (~$356.64). Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹56.4 million (~$681,859).

Selected bidders must remit ₹141.1 million (~$1.7 million) as a performance bank guarantee.

To be eligible, the bidder should have commissioned or supervised the commissioning of solar power projects of a cumulative installed capacity of 20 MW anywhere in the world during the last five years. At least one project should be of 5 MW capacity or above.

They should have a net worth of ₹564.4 million (~$6.82) as of the last day of the preceding financial year. Their net minimum annual turnover should be ₹846.6 million (~$10.23 million).

Bidders must have an internal resource generation capability in the form of profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes for a minimum of ₹411.9 million (~$4.98).

They must possess an in-principle sanction letter from a bank committing a line of credit for ₹99.5 million (~$1.2 million) to meet the working capital requirement of the project.

Developers can start partial operations by commissioning a minimum of 50 MW capacity. Further commissioning can be achieved in increments of 5 MW until the entire project is fully commissioned.

Developers can partially or fully commission the project before signing the supply connection agreement. If the developer partially commissions the project before the scheduled commissioning date (SCD), APDCL may purchase the generated power until SCD at 75% of the agreed-upon tariff. If the developer fully commissions the project before SCD, APDCL may purchase the generated power at the agreed-upon tariff.

For any delay in project commissioning up to one month, 20% of the PBG will be encashed; for delays up to two months, 40% will be encashed. If the project is delayed beyond three months, the developer must pay a penalty of ₹10,000 (~$120) / MW per day of delay for the remaining commissioned capacity.

The declared capacity utilization factor must not be less than 16.21% per annum.

APDCL had earlier issued bids to procure 50 MW of power from a ground-mounted solar photovoltaic project for 25 years.

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