NHPC Limited, a government-owned hydropower generator has issued a tender inviting bids for the procuring of 2,000 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) power. NHPC will enter into power purchase agreements for 25 years with successful developers. The projects are expected to be connected to the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS). Modules for projects under this tender can be imported (open category).

Bidders can bid for a minimum project size of 50 MW, and in multiples of 10 MW thereafter. The projects can be set up anywhere across India. There is no maximum limit of projects a developer can bid for. Projects commissioned, under construction or projects which are not yet commissioned cannot be considered under this tender. Further, enhancement and augmentation of commissioned projects, irrespective of their capacities, would not be allowed under this project.

NHPC has set a tariff ceiling of ₹2.95 ($0.041)/kWh. Bidders are expected to quote a fixed levelized tariff for 25 years. Successful developers are mandated to meet a capacity utilization factor (CUF) of at least 19%. The projects are to be set up on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis on land that is identified and arranged by the solar power developers.

NHPC has allowed a commissioning timeline of 18 months from the date of signing the power purchase agreement. The earnest money deposit (EMD) for this tender has been set at ₹1 million ($13,890)/MW.

The bid submission deadline for this tender is September 27, 2019.

In April 2019, as part of its green energy commitment, NHPC issued an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract for developing 40 MW of grid-connected solar power project at Ladeihil village in Ganjam district of Odisha.

According to Mercom India Solar Project Tracker, NHPC has 50 MW solar projects in-operation in Tamil Nadu.

Shaurya is a staff reporter at MercomIndia.com with experience working in the Indian solar energy industry for the past four years in various roles. Prior to joining Mercom, Shaurya worked with a renewable energy developer and a consulting company. Shaurya holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Management from Lancaster University in the United Kingdom.