The Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVNL) has reduced the capacity of its earlier tender floated for the installation of 25 MW of grid-connected and off-grid rooftop solar projects. The capacity has now been cut down to 15 MW. Another modification in the tender is the removal of the domestic content requirement.

A senior official of MPUVNL confirmed to Mercom that the capacity had been reduced. He further added that this year, there would be more projects based on the RESCO (renewable energy service company) model than CAPEX (capital expenditure).

The MPUVNL has revised the capacity allocated for each category of projects and also removed a category which earlier had a capacity of 2,000 kW.

The tender was initially issued in January 2020 with a bid submission date of February 24, 2020. The bid submission deadline for the new tender with 15 MW capacity is June 16, 2020, while the technical bid opening has been scheduled for June 17, 2020.

With the reduced capacity, the financial eligibility requirements have also changed.

Now, the amount of the earnest money deposit (EMD) for each category will range between ₹50,000 (~$666) to ₹700,000 (~$9,318). Earlier, bidders were expected to pay between ₹500,000 (~$7,008) and ₹1.7 million (~$23,829) as security deposit depending on the type of installation and capacity chosen.

The scope of work for the projects with and without battery energy storage involves the design, engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of the projects. Bidders are also expected to provide insurance, warranty, spare parts, and the operation and maintenance of the projects.

Previously, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN), a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC, floated a tender for 7.2 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects. The solar systems will be installed under the CAPEX model in the Mandideep area, around 25 km from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh’s capital city.

Then in October 2019, MPUVNL, in partnership with the MP Industrial Development Corporation, had reissued its tender for 28 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems.  The project called for the sale of solar power under the RESCO model for the industries located at Mandideep.

According to Mercom India’s Solar Market Q1 2020 India Report, the state of Madhya Pradesh has over 50 MW rooftop solar systems as of Q1 2020.

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.