The Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MAHAGENCO) has invited an expression of interest (EoI) to set up a 10 MW grid-connected floating solar project at the Upper Vaitarna reservoir in Nashik district.

The EoI submission deadline is February 5, 2019.

MAHAGENCO will assist in providing the area at the reservoir for the grid-connected floating solar PV project. It will enter a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the project developer and subsequent power sale agreement (PSA) with Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).

The scope of work will include the design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the solar PV project on the water surface. The successful developer will also construct and erect complete evacuation line from the switchyard of solar PV project to the nearest substation.

In September 2018, MAHAGENCO had invited EoI to develop 100 MW of grid-connected projects at Chandrapur, in the state of Maharashtra. The projects will be set up at the ash bund lagoon 1 and 2 near Chandrapur Super Thermal Power Station (CSTPS).

In the same month MAHAGENCO also invited EoI to set up solar component (modules and cells) manufacturing unit in the state.

In March 2018, it had tendered 50 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects to be developed in the northern region of the state. Then in June 2018, MAHAGENCO tendered 750 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects to cater to the agricultural (AG) feeder load of various substations across the state.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, Maharashtra has installed large-scale solar capacity of 1.3 GW to date and also has a project pipeline of 1.4 GW. MAHAGENCO has installed solar PV capacity of 180 MW.

Image credit: SPG Solar [CC BY-SA 3.0)]