The Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) has invited bids for setting up 250 MW of grid-connected ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the state.

The tender document has indicated that the bidder must either be an Indian company, or an Indian manufacturer, a PV system integrator, member of a bidding consortium or a special purpose vehicle, formed to develop the project. The minimum amount for bidding is 25 MW.

The tender further states that the successful bidder must have prior experience of design, supply, erection, and commissioning of solar PV-based grid-connected power project of at least 10 MW capacity.

The tender has the last date for submission as July 10, 2019, and technical bid opening date of July 11, 2019.

The earnest money deposit (EMD) for the tender is set at ₹400,000 ($5,750), with the bidders required to have a minimum annual turnover of ₹750 million (~$11 million) of the quoted capacity during the previous financial year.

BREDA, Patna would be managing the competitive bidding process to shortlist qualifying bidders.

Earlier this year, Bihar Sharif Smart City Limited had also invited bids for 2 MW of solar projects to be developed on a turnkey basis. Bihar Sharif is a town located in Nalanda district of Bihar.

In the first week of 2019, the Bihar Renewable Energy Development Agency (BREDA) issued a request for proposal (RfP) for the installation of 15 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar PV systems. The project was to be developed under the RESCO model with net metering facility at various locations across the state.

Mercom reported recently on the Bihar State Power Holding Company Ltd. (BSPHCL) writing to the state’s electricity commission (BERC) seeking its approval to carry forward the shortfall in the renewable purchase obligations (RPO) for the financial year 2018-19 to the next year. The commission had dismissed the petition and decided to penalize the DISCOM instead.

Also, BERC in its latest notification set the generic levelized tariff for power generated from solar PV for FY 2019-20 at ₹4.17 (~$0.060)/kWh without accelerated depreciation (AD). The tariff without availing AD remains unchanged from the generic tariff of solar PV fixed by the state commission for FY 2018-19.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, the cumulative installed solar capacity in Bihar is 110 MW.