The Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Ltd. (RRECL) has issued a counter offer order for the installation of 18 MW of grid‑connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) projects across the state. The selected bidders must submit acceptance of the counter offer by April 17, 2018.

In the tender, RRECL specified that established suppliers may each bid for 1,000 kW, new small or local entrepreneurs may bid for 500 kW, and startup firms may bid for 200 kW. In all, 13 established suppliers, 25 new small or local entrepreneurs, and 67 start-up firms participated in the financial bidding.

During initial financial bidding, the lowest (L1) tariff for projects with a capacity greater than 1 kW and up to 10 kW was quoted as ₹53.65 (~$0.82)/W, an L1 tariff of ₹49.25 (~$0.75)/W was quoted for projects with a capacity greater than 10 kW and up to 50 kW, and an L1 tariff of ₹46.80 (~$0.72)/W was quoted for projects with a capacity greater than 50 kW and up to 500 kW.

The L1 tariffs of ₹53.65 ($0.82)/W and ₹49.25 ($0.75)/W were quoted by Balaarka, Jodhpur, and L1 tariff of ₹46.80 (~$0.72)/W was quoted by Ohms Energy Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai.

According to RRECL, all bidders selected in the techno-commercial round are eligible to match the L1 tariffs to develop rooftop solar PV projects. RRECL stated, “If the number of bidders willing to match L1 tariffs in each slab is more than the capacity on offer, then the projects will be awarded based on the ranking of bidders per the bids submitted by them during the reverse bidding round which was held earlier.”

RRECL had initially tendered the capacity in October 2017, then it retendered it in December 2017.

When contacted, an RRECL official told Mercom, “We always sign contracts at the same prices for a particular slab/category, not on differential prices; hence this counter offer.” The projects will be awarded soon and the developers will have nine months to commission the projects, added the RRECL official.

Image credit: Rattan India