Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) has invited bids to install and commission grid-connected distributed solar power systems for the solarization of agricultural feeders covering 262,331 pump sets under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program.

The successful bidder will also have to develop the associated 11 kV line to connect the projects with the substations and undertake the project’s operation and maintenance (O&M) for 25 years.

The projects will be developed under the renewable energy service company (RESCO) model.

Under Component C of the KUSUM program, the government had set a target to solarize 1.5 million grid-connected agriculture pumps of individual capacity up to 7.5 HP by 2022.

The ceiling tariff for the tender has been set as ₹2.32 (~$0.028)/kWh.

The last date to submit the bids is February 7, 2023. Bids will be opened on February 9.

Bidders will have to pay ₹100,000 (~$1,221)/MW as an earnest money deposit. They must also furnish ₹100,000 (~$1,221)/MW as a performance bank guarantee.

The maximum eligible central financial assistance will be  ₹10.5 million (~$128,223)/MW, even if the bidder’s project cost/MW is more than the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s estimation.

The scheduled commercial operation date of the project must be achieved within nine months from the signing of the power purchase agreement. The solar power generator should obtain power evacuation approval.

Bidders should have at least one project of not less than 1 MW based on commercially established technology in operation for at least one year.

They should have a positive net worth of ₹10.5 million (~$128,223) as of the last day of the previous financial year.

During the first ten years, the minimum generation should not be less than 15% of the declared capacity utilization factor (CUF) of the power project, while after ten years, the minimum generation should not be less than 20% of the declared CUF.

BESCOM has stated that it will be mandatory for developers to use solar modules as per the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers.

Any bidder from a country that shares land with India will also be eligible to bid for this tender.

Recently, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development invited bids for the installation and commissioning of grid-connected distributed solar power systems for the solarization of agricultural feeders covering 75,000 individual pump sets under Component C of the PM-KUSUM program.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, BESCOM has so far floated tenders for 1,221 MW of solar power projects.