Pakistan’s Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) has issued tenders to install 600 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) power capacity in Kot Addu and Muzaffargarh districts in the province of Punjab.

The projects will be developed on a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) basis for a concession term of 25 years.

The last date for submitting bids has been extended to May 8, 2023. Bids will be opened the same day. The deadline was initially set for April 17, which was later revised.

The 600 MW projects are planned to be developed through international competitive bidding.

The project site has been identified and finalized, considering the availability of existing grid infrastructure required for power evacuation, resource availability, water availability, and proximity of the area with load centers.

The successful bidder will have to obtain approval (no objection certificate) from the Punjab Environmental Protection Agency before the issuance of a Generation License from the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA).

Further, the successful bidder will carry out the grid interconnection studies per the grid code using the project and bid-specific information and obtain the necessary approval from the National Transmission & Despatch Company (NTDC) prior to the issuance of the generation license.

The new solar projects are expected to help Pakistan achieve its renewable energy targets and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

The government has set the target of achieving a 60% share of its generation capacity through indigenous clean energy technologies (ARE & hydro) by 2030 based on outputs of the Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan (IGCEP).

IGCEP is a long-term plan developed by Pakistan’s National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to meet the country’s future electricity demands.

The complete Request for Proposal (RfP) is available at the AEDB office or online for a payment of $200 as a registration fee and $2,500 for the RfP document.

Earlier this year, the Pakistan government announced, as the first step of its solarisation project, has decided to solarise all public buildings of federal ministries and its divisions across the country by April 2023.