The Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MAHAGENCO) has tendered 110 MW of solar in two separate tenders.

60 MW (AC) of solar will be developed at various locations in Tembhu, Satara district, Maharashtra. The solar projects will supply power to run the Tembhu lift irrigation program.

The projects will be developed on build, own, operate, and, transfer basis and the scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the projects.

The MAHAGENCO also tendered 50 MW (AC) of solar to be developed across Western Maharashtra. The solar projects will cater the agricultural (AG) feeder load of various substations at various places in Western Maharashtra.

The projects will be developed on public private partnership basis and the scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the projects. The successful bidder will also provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for a 25-year period.

The bid-submission deadline for both the tenders is September 26, 2017.

MAHAGENCO had invited an expression of interest (EoI) to develop 1,500 MW of solar for the solarization of AG feeder across Maharashtra in June.

MAHAGENCO has been looking at solar as part of its solution to provide cheap electricity to farmers across the state. Over 50 percent of the entire land in Maharashtra is agricultural and MAHAGENCO has had to bear the brunt of subsidizing electricity to farmers. In the past, MAHAGENCO has shut down four thermal projects as it could not get buyers due to a ₹0.50 (~$0.008) price difference.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, Maharashtra has installed capacity of 551 MW of solar and around 851 MW are under various stages of development.

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