The Punjab State Power Corporation (PSPCL) tendered a 100 MW grid-connected solar project to be developed at the premises of Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) in Bathinda, Punjab. The bid-submission deadline is November 30, 2017.

The scope of work includes, site survey, reconditioning of land including leveling, compaction and provision of earth cover to ash dyke area, drainage of land and separation of dyke ear marked for Solar Plant from active dyke, supply, design, engineering, procurement, construction, erection, and commissioning of the 100 MW grid-connected solar project.

The proposed project is in the vicinity of 66kV and 132kV/220kV substations and land will be provided by the government on lease for 25 years. The project will be developed in developer mode on build own operate basis, confirmed a PSPCL official. The successful developer will be provided a total of 499 acres of land for developing the project.

No upper tariff ceiling has been fixed by PSPCL for this tender, added the PSPCL official. Most of land being provided for this project is ash dyke which will need massive reconditioning, and this will add up to a lot of cost, it wouldn’t have been a healthy practice if upper ceiling was set for such a project. There is no such set payment guarantee for this tender, but the bidders can demand that the state government provide a payment security mechanism, added the PSPCL official.

The tender document doesn’t mention if any incentives can be availed for the development of this project. When asked about it, the PSPCL official said, “The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) provides some incentives for the utilization of wasteland to develop solar projects and it also provides certain incentives to develop projects in hilly areas, developers can avail those incentives.”

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