The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a tender for setting up of 1,200 MW interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected wind power projects (Tranche-XI) in the country.

The last date to submit the bids is July 6, 2021, and bids will be opened on July 9. The pre-bid meeting will take place on June 3.

Interested bidders will not have to pay any earnest money deposit to participate in this tender. The successful bidder is required to furnish a performance bank guarantee of ₹1.2 million (~$16,442)/MW by at least seven days before the signing of the power purchase agreement.

Power procured by SECI from the projects will be sold to the distribution companies (DISCOMs) of Madhya Pradesh. The DISCOMs will procure power through Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL), which is the authorized representative for signing the power sale agreement on behalf of the DISCOMs.

A bidder can submit a single bid offering a minimum capacity of 50 MW and a maximum of 1,200 MW. The projects should be quoted in multiples of 10 MW.

The bidding document also specifies that the project should be designed to interconnect with the ISTS per prevailing regulations.

The developer will be responsible for acquiring the land required for setting up the project. SECI will not be accountable for the land acquisition in any manner. However, the request for selection clause will have to be considered while finalizing the project location.

The declared annual capacity utilization factor (CUF) should not be less than 22%. The developer must maintain generation to achieve annual CUF not less than 80% of the declared value and not more than 120% of the declared CUF value during the 25 years when the agreement is in place.

As per the tender documents, the bidder should provide information about the wind turbines proposed to be installed in the project at the time of financial closure. Only certified wind turbine models listed in the ‘Revised List of Models and Manufactures’ issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy will be allowed for deployment under the program.

To participate in the bidding process, the bidder’s net worth should be ₹12 million (~$164,424)/MW of the quoted capacity as of the last date of the previous financial year. The bidder’s minimum annual turnover should be at least ₹6 million (~$82,211)/MW of the quoted capacity as of the last date of the previous financial year.

The internal resource generation capability, in the form of profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes, should be at least ₹1.2 million (~$16,442)/ MW of the quoted capacity, as of the last date of the previous financial year.

The bidder should have an in-principle approval letter from the lending institutions committing a ‘Line of Credit’ for a minimum amount of ₹1.5 million (~$20,553)/MW of the quoted capacity towards meeting the working capital requirement of the project.

In March this year, Adani Renewable Energy, Ayana Renewable Power, Evergreen Power, and JSW Future Energy won 1.2 GW of wind projects in the SECI’s auction to select developers for ISTS-connected wind projects (Tranche X) in the country. Adani Renewable Energy won 300 MW of wind projects quoting ₹2.77 (~$0.0382)/kWh. Meanwhile, Ayana Renewable Power (300 MW), Evergreen Power (150 MW), and JSW Future Energy (450 MW) quoted ₹2.78 (~$0.0383)/kWh. JSW had placed bids for 600 MW but was awarded only 450 MW under the bucket-filling method.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, SECI has tendered 15.1 GW of wind projects under Tranche I to X, of which 11.5 GW has been auctioned.