Oil India Limited (OIL), a Navaratna enterprise, has invited prospective bidders to develop 100 MW (AC) of solar project capacity anywhere in India. The projects will be tendered under the second phase of the central government’s CPSU program.

Interested solar power developers, manufacturers, and EPC contractors have been asked to submit their intent on or before August 13, 2019.

Along with the development of these solar projects, the successful bidder will also be responsible for comprehensive operation and maintenance services for 25 years.

The CPSU program was proposed by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE). Under this, the government producers will get four years: 2019-2020 to 2022-23, to set up 12,000 MW of solar power projects across the country. Under the program, the usage charges should not exceed ₹3.50 (~$0.050)/kWh and will be exclusive of any other third-party charge such as wheeling, transmission charges and losses, and the likes. Recently, the President of India accorded his approval to implement phase-II of the CPSU program to set up 12,000 MW of grid-connected solar power projects for self-use or use by government entities.

OIL is engaged in the exploration, production, and transportation of crude oil and natural gas and production of LPG in India with participating interest in engineering and procurement sector in various overseas projects.

According to OIL’s portfolio, it has established a total of 174.1 MW of wind power projects distributed over the states of Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh. It has also established two solar power projects of capacity 14 MW in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. To date, a total of 188.1 MW of renewable energy projects are under OIL’s portfolio.

Earlier this year, Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) had floated a tender for the engineering, procurement, and construction of two grid-connected rooftop captive solar power projects at Uttar Pradesh.

The IOCL had also issued a tender for the engineering, procurement, and construction of a 2 MW grid-interactive and ground-mounted captive solar power project at its LPG bottling plant, located at Dhanaj, in Washim district of Maharashtra.

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