The Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVNL) has invited bids for the discovery of tariff and implementation of 40 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects at various locations in the state. The projects will be developed under the renewable energy service company (RESCO) model.

The RESCO model is a system where the developer owns the solar project, and the consumer has to pay for the energy generated.

Apart from the design, engineering, supply, financing, installation, testing, and commissioning of the projects, the successful bidder will also have to take care of the comprehensive maintenance of projects for 25 years.

The grid-connected projects may be allowed under category I or category III, as defined in the policy for decentralized renewable energy systems, 2016.

• Category I: Grid-connected net-metered systems
• Category II: Grid-connected systems for consumption within premises with no export of power

Bids have to be submitted online by February 15, 2021. The pre-bid meeting will take place on February 06.

The successful bidder will have to submit an amount of ₹1.9 million (~$25,989)/MW as the performance bank guarantee.

To participate in the competitive bidding process, the bidder should be a corporate body incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 1956 or 2013.

The bidder should have either a minimum net worth of ₹8 million (~$109,430)/MW or a turnover of ₹24 million (~$328,290)/MW for the project group. In the case of a consortium, the net worth or turnover should be fulfilled by the lead member only.

If a bidder is selected, it can choose to incorporate a project company. In the case of a consortium, it would be mandatory to incorporate a project company to sign the power purchase agreement.

The bidder should ensure compliance with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers guidelines and use modules only from the manufacturers from the operationalized list. The solar modules used in this program should be ‘Made in India.’

In October last year, MPUVNL floated a request for proposal for 30 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects under the RESCO model to be installed at various locations in the state.

Earlier, Mercom reported that MPUVNL had issued an expression of interest to purchase power from solar rooftop projects installed with ‘zero upfront investment’ through the RESCO model.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, MPUVNL has so far floated tenders for 160 MW of rooftop solar projects.