The Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigam (JDVVNL) has floated a tender for installing and commissioning 45.8 MW grid-connected solar power projects in various subdivisions of Pali Circle under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program for feeder-level solarization.

The projects will be developed under the renewable energy service company (RESCO) model.

The last date for the submission of bids is October 16, 2023. Bids will be opened on October 18.

The successful bidder must manage the project’s operations and maintenance for 25 years.

The project must utilize solar photovoltaic technology using crystalline silicon, thin film, or concentrator photovoltaics, with or without trackers. Only well-established and currently operational technologies are permissible to reduce technological uncertainties and ensure the project’s prompt commencement.

The developer will also be responsible for supplying and setting up the appropriate 33 kV or 11 kV power line that will link the projects to their respective 33/11 kV substations.

Bidders are required to provide an earnest money deposit of ₹100,000 (~$1,212)/MW of the capacity stated in their proposal.

The successful bidder must remit a performance bank guarantee (PBG) worth ₹500,000 (~$6,058)/MW of the allocated capacity.

The approximate cost of the project is ₹35 million (~$424,085)/MW.

The project must be commissioned within nine months of signing the power purchase agreement.

For qualification, landowners, farmers, and individuals with suitable land for the project must submit a declaration confirming ownership of assets (both movable and immovable) amounting to a minimum of 20% of the total cost corresponding to the quoted capacity.

Bidders are required to demonstrate a minimum average annual turnover equal to at least 30% of the total cost associated with the quoted capacity for the previous three fiscal years.

The developer must ensure a capacity utilization factor of not less than 19%.

A power purchase agreement for 25 years, at the levelized tariff approved by the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC), is to be executed between the selected bidder and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam (RUVNL) within seven days of submission of PBG.

Recently, JDVVNL invited bids to install and commission 31 grid-connected solar projects with a total capacity of 78.6 MW under Component C of the PM-KUSUM program.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker,  JDVVNL has so far floated tenders for 2.2 GW of solar power projects under Component C of the PM-KUSUM program.