The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a tender for selecting solar power developers to set up 2 GW inter-state transmission system ISTS-connected solar projects (Tranche XI) in India.

The last date to submit the bid is May 10, 2023. Bids will be opened on May 15.

The bidders must submit an amount of ₹1.1 million (~$14,080) per MW of the quoted capacity as an earnest money deposit.

Bidders must also submit a bid processing fee worth ₹500,000 (~$6,079) plus 18% GST for each project from 50 MW up to 90 MW and ₹1.5 million (~$18,238) plus 18% GST for projects with capacity from 100 MW and above.

Project developers selected by SECI will have to submit a performance bank guarantee for a value of ₹1.7 million (~$20,673)/MW before the power purchase agreement (PPA) is signed.

The PPAs will be valid for 25 years from the scheduled commissioning date of the projects.

The developers are expected to commission the project’s total capacity within 18 months from the effective PPA date.

Power procured by SECI from the concerned projects has been provisioned to be sold to the different buying entities in India.

A bidder or its affiliates is required to submit only one bid. This bid must offer a minimum contracted capacity of 50 MW and a maximum capacity of 2 GW. Bids for the projects must be quoted in multiples of 10 MW only.

The bidders will be responsible for identifying suitable land, installing the project, and acquiring ownership of it, as well as ensuring that the necessary approvals and connectivity with the ISTS network are obtained for supplying power to SECI.

The project should be designed for interconnection with the ISTS network in compliance with the regulations.

Bidder must comply with the applicable grid code, grid connectivity standards, and other regulations/procedures issued by the appropriate commissions and CEA for grid interconnection and metering.

The minimum voltage required for interconnection at the ISTS is 220 kV.

The modules used in the project must be listed in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE) Approved List for Models and Manufacturers List.

The bidder must provide evidence of meeting commercially established and operational technologies to minimize the risk associated with technology and ensure the timely commissioning of the projects.

The bidder must have a net worth equal to or greater than ₹11.58 million (~$140,821) per MW and a minimum annual turnover of ₹3.5 million (~$42,605) per MW of the quoted capacity as of the last day of the previous financial year, i.e., FY 2020-21, or at least seven days before the bid submission deadline.

Recently, SECI invited bids to empanel vendors for developing up to 5 MW of rooftop and ground-mounted solar power projects.

In February, SECI invited bids for a 2 MW solar project along with a 1 MW battery energy storage system at Kaza, Himachal Pradesh.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of tender activity in real-time.