The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has extended the bid submission deadline for its tender for 7.5 GW of grid-connected solar power projects slated to be developed in the districts of Leh and Kargil.

The revised deadline is now December 2, 2020. This was revised from April 30, 2020, previously. Before this, the deadline for bid submission was January 31, 2020, which was extended from November 29, 2019.

Background: 

The tender was originally issued in January 2019. The total capacity of 7.5 GW under the Request for Selection (RfS) has been divided into three packages of 2.5 GW each.

The package-A would be set up in the areas tentatively identified in the Zanskar sub-division and Tai Suru block of Kargil district. Packages B and C would be developed at the Hanley Khaldo area of Nyoma sub-division in the Leh district.

The scope of work includes developing the solar power projects and setting up power transmission and evacuation infrastructure up to the delivery point.

For these projects, SECI will enter into power purchase agreements (PPA) with the successful bidders for a period of 35 years.

Previously, Mercom reported that amid the ensuing COVID-19 crisis, SECI has once again extended the bid submission deadline for another solar tender in Leh and Kargil for 14 MW of solar projects with 42 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) (7MW/21 MWh each). The bid submission deadline was extended to September 30, 2020. The previous deadline for the submission of bids was July 30, 2020.

According to Mercom India Research, SECI has so far tendered 16.7 GW of ISTS solar projects under tranche I to X; and auctioned around 8.84 GW under tranche I to Tranche VIII.

In June, SECI’s auction for 2 GW of the interstate transmission system connected solar projects (Tranche IX) saw a record-low bid of ₹2.36 (~$0.0313)/kWh.