Assam Power Distribution Company (APDCL) has invited bids to procure 200 MW of power from solar projects to be developed in Assam.

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

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

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.

The last day to submit the bids is March 14, 2023. Bids will be opened on March 16.

The cost of the bidding documents is ₹29,500 (~$356). Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹806,000 (~$9,741)/ MW.

Selected bidders must remit ₹2.02 million (~$24,413 million)/ MW as a performance bank guarantee.

They should have a net worth of ₹8.06 million (~$97,411)/ MW as of the last day of the preceding financial year. Their net minimum annual turnover should be ₹12.09 million (~$146,117)/ MW.

Bidders must have an internal resource generation capability in the form of profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes for a minimum of ₹5.88 million (~$71,064)/ MW.

They must possess an in-principle sanction letter from a bank committing a line of credit for ₹1.42 million (~$17,161)/ MW to meet the working capital requirement of the project.

Developers can start partial operations by commissioning a minimum of 25 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.

Bidders must have developed, designed, erected, commissioned, or supervised these activities for a grid-connected solar power project with a cumulative capacity equivalent to 30% of the quoted capacity anywhere in the world during the last five years before the bid submission deadline.

The terms of the tender mandate that only commercially established and operational technologies can be used to minimize the technology risk and achieve the projects’ timely commissioning.

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

APDCL had earlier issued bids to procure 70 MW of power from ground-mounted solar projects to be developed in Dhubri, Assam.

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