Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEBL) has issued a request for selection of developers to set up 65 MW of grid-connected wind power projects in Kerala under tariff-based competitive bidding.

The developers can submit their bids to develop a minimum capacity of 2 MW and a maximum capacity of 65 MW. They would be required to quote a single fixed tariff for the contract period of 25 years. Energy procured under this contract will be accounted for against the renewable purchase obligation (RPO) of KSEBL.

The projects must achieve financial closure within seven months from the effective date of the power purchase agreement (PPA).

The last day to submit the bids is June 20, 2022. The bids will be opened on June 23.

Bidders must pay a non-refundable bid submission fee of ₹29,500 (~$380). They must remit an earnest money deposit of ₹200,000 (~$2,575) for projects ranging from 2 MW to 10 MW, ₹300,000 (~$3,862) for projects above 10 MW and up to 50 MW, and ₹500,000 (~$6,438) for projects above 50 MW and up to 65 MW.

Successful bidders must pay ₹100,000 (~$1,287)/MW as success charges within 30 days of issuing the letter of award or the date which is at least seven days before the date of signing of PPA whichever is earlier.

Only turbines listed in the Revised List of Models and Manufactures (RLMM) issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be allowed for deployment under the project.

Bidders must furnish either a net worth certificate or a solvency certificate for a minimum of ₹12 million (~$154,467)/MW of the quoted capacity. Bidders must have a minimum annual turnover of 6 million (~$7,723)/MW of the quoted capacity in any three years out of the last five years.

The projects must be at the locations chosen by the developers at their discretion of cost, risk, and responsibility. The developers will be responsible for obtaining wind potential assessment and technical approval from the Agency for Non-Conventional Energy and Rural Technology (ANERT). Technical approval from ANERT will have to be obtained before issuing the letter of award. Only wind projects at the locations having the technical approval of ANERT will be approved.

The developer can set up the entire project capacity at a single location or may configure the project as being sub-divided into several ‘blocks,’ being set up at multiple locations. Such ‘blocks’ must be located within Kerala for a single project. A project can consist of any number of blocks, wherein the minimum voltage level for a single block must be 11 kV.

The scheduled commissioning date (SCD) for the commissioning of the project’s full capacity will be 18 months from the effective date of the PPA. The maximum time allowed for commissioning the total project capacity with applicable liquidated damages will be limited to 270 days from the SCD.

In case of delay in commissioning the project beyond the SCD, liquidated damages equivalent to the total EMD amount for the project will be encashed on per-day-basis and proportionate to the balance capacity not commissioned.

KSEBL has invited bids to design, survey, supply, install, test, and commission a 6 MW grid-connected solar power project and its remote monitoring system in the Palakkad district of Kerala under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program.

Earlier, KSEB had issued an engineering, procurement, and construction tender for grid-connected solar projects with a total capacity of 5,995 kW. The projects were meant to be installed on buildings and land owned by KSEB across 63 locations under the feeder level solarization under component-C of the KUSUM program.