Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) has invited bids to procure 225 MW of power from decentralized solar projects of 500 kW to 2 MW under component-A of the Pradhan Mantri-Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program.

MSEDCL has set a ceiling tariff of ₹3.30 (~$0.040)/kWh.

The projects should be commissioned within 12 months of the work order.

The last day to submit the bids is April 28, 2023.

Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹100,000 (~$1,213)/MW. Successful bidders must remit a performance bank guarantee of ₹100,000 (~$1,213)/MW within 30 days from the date of the work order.

They should have a net worth of ₹10 million (~$121,334)/MW as of the last day of the preceding financial year. Their net minimum annual turnover should be ₹2.5 million (~$30,333)/MW.

Bidders must have an internal resource generation capability in the form of profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes for a minimum of ₹1 million (~$12,133)/MW.

They must possess an in-principle sanction letter from a bank committing a line of credit for ₹1.25 million (~$15,167) to meet the working capital requirement.

MSEDCL will enter into a power purchase agreement with the successful bidders for 25 years from the commercial operation date of the projects.

Only technologies that are already commercially established and operational must be used to reduce technological risks and ensure the project’s timely completion.

Bidders can participate as individuals or groups of farmers, cooperatives, panchayats, farmer-producer organizations, or water user organizations setting up the project on their lands.

If bidders cannot arrange the capital, they may set up the projects through a developer. Both parties will have to sign a land lease agreement.

The lease rent to be paid to the landowner will be ₹75,000 (~$910) per hectare per year with a yearly increment of 3%. The tenure for the lease agreement will be between 26 and 30 years, as agreed by the parties.

The responsibility of getting grid connectivity with MSEDCL will vest with the successful bidder.

The successful bidder will be responsible for power transmission up to the interconnection point and energy accounting infrastructure.

The project should be designed to deliver energy at an 11/22 kV level of the substation of MSEDCL.

In no case the declared capacity utilization factor must be less than 15% over a year.

MSEDCL has stated that the mono-crystalline or poly-crystalline modules to be used for the project must be from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

MSEDCL had invited bids to procure 300 MW of solar power from decentralized solar projects under Component A of the PM-KUSUM program.

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