The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has extended the deadline for the submission of bids to set up 1.2 GW of wind-solar hybrid power projects in the country under Tranche III of the interstate transmission (ISTS) program.

The new deadline has been set for May 15, 2020, whereas the earlier deadline was February 25, 2020.

The projects involve the setting up of wind-solar hybrid power projects on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis and selling the hybrid power to SECI.

The request for selection (RfS) document released earlier said to take part in the bidding process, interested bidders are expected to pay an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹500,000 (~$7,054)/MW in the form of a performance bank guarantee (PBG) along with the response to the RfS.

In December, Mercom had reported that SECI had floated two tenders for 1.2 GW of solar and 1.2 GW of wind-solar hybrid projects connected to the interstate transmission system (ISTS).

The tender further mentions that the minimum project size of a single hybrid power project must be 50 MW and the maximum must be 300 MW. It also said that the rated installed project capacity of one of the components of the hybrid project – either wind or solar – must be 25% the capacity of the other.

The tender also mandates a minimum capacity utilization factor of 30%. The solar component of the project can be sub-divided into blocks set up at multiple locations. However, such projects have to be located within the same state, and the minimum voltage level for a single block should be 33 kV.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, SECI has overall tendered 3.6 GW capacity of solar-wind hybrid projects under the ISTS program (Tranche I to Tranche III) and auctioned 1.56 GW under Tranche I & II.

Recently, SECI also issued a Request for Selection (RfS) for the setting up of 1.2 GW of renewable projects connected with the ISTS and with a guaranteed peak power supply (ISTS-VII).

Image credit: LONGi Solar