NHPC Limited has invited expressions of interest (EOIs) to empanel agencies for leasing 3,000 acres of land to set up 600 MW of solar power projects in the state of Rajasthan.

Interested bidders are expected to make an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹2 million (~$26,760). The last date for the submission of EOI is September 5, 2020, for online submissions, and September 9, 2020, for offline submissions.

The scope of work includes making arrangements for 3,000 acres of continuous, flat land at a single location in acrid regions of the state (preferably Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Bikaner, or any adjoining districts) on lease for 27 years. The EoI documents said that the nearest interstate transmission system (ISTS) connected substation should not be more than 35 km from the site.

The selected agency is required to obtain all clearances for setting up 600 MW of solar projects in this land. The agency is expected to provide the land along with all statutory clearances within six months from the date of issue of the letter of award (LoA). The agency is also required to conduct public hearings in the area as and when required and follow up with the state government when needed

To be eligible to participate in the competitive bidding process, the applicant must be the owner of at least 50% of the required land. Alternatively, they should have obtained consent from the concerned parties for providing at least 50% of the area on lease at the time of submission of bids. The applicant must submit notarized documentary evidence in support of this.

Recently, the national hydro generator had said that it had decided to diversify the company’s business to include solar power projects, adding that it would act as an intermediary procurer through solar power developers.

Last year, the government-owned hydropower generator had issued the tender inviting bids for 2 GW of solar power projects. The projects were expected to be connected to the ISTS network. Modules for projects under this tender were allowed to be imported under the open category. The projects could be set up anywhere in the country.

According to Mercom India’s  Solar Project Tracker, NHPC Limited, currently has 50 MW of solar projects in operation in Tamil Nadu. The projects were successfully commissioned in Theni and Dindigul districts of the state.

Image credit: Mariana Proenca