The Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) has invited bids to appoint a consultant for a 3.3 GW wind, solar, and hybrid park at Rann of Kutch area in Gujarat.

The scope of work includes the preparation of feasibility reports, detailed project report (DPR), engineering services, wind and solar resource assessment, estimation of energy yield, and optimization of plot sizing and layout.

The last date to submit the bids online is October 20, 2020, and the bids will be opened on October 26, 2020. Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹115,000 (~$1,566) as the earnest money deposit (EMD).

The state government had announced its solar plus wind hybrid power policy in 2018. Recently, it also issued a discussion paper to start the regulatory process for determining tariffs for wind-solar hybrid projects.

To participate in the competitive bidding process, the bidder should have experience providing consultancy services for developing a single large-scale renewable energy park of a capacity of more than 500 MW consisting of solar, wind, or solar-wind hybrid projects.

The bidder should have successfully carried out similar projects with a cumulative capacity of at least 1 GW in the last seven years. The bidder must have a skilled workforce with sufficient experience to handle such a job.

The bidder’s average annual turnover in the last three financial years should be ₹20 million (~$272,437). The bidder’s net worth should be more than the paid-up capital or at least ₹10 million (~$136,218), whichever is higher.

As per the tender document, the bidder should submit the feasibility report within one week after receiving written comments on the draft feasibility report. The draft DPR should be submitted within two weeks after the acceptance of the draft DPR by GSECL.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, about 13 tenders have been announced inviting consultants for the development of solar projects and parks.The Gujarat government has also issued amendments to its wasteland allotment policy for wind, solar, and hybrid (wind and solar) power projects. The amendments said that 50% of the electric capacity is to be installed within three years of the agreement of land allotment, and 100% should be generated within five years of the contract.

Last year, Gujarat modified its land laws relating to wind and hybrid (wind and solar) parks in the state. This law was brought into effect, keeping in mind the central government tender projects can be set up anywhere in India.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, Gujarat has so far installed approximately 2.4 GW of large-scale solar projects while ~2.2 GW of projects is currently in the pipeline.