The Solar Energy Corporation of India Ltd. (SECI) has amended the detailed Request for Selection (RfS) for the tender for 3 GW of the interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity linked with 1.5 GW of solar PV manufacturing.

SECI had tendered the capacity in January 2019.

The amendments:

• Although the timeline for commissioning is 36 months from the effective date of power purchase agreements (PPAs), the ISTS waiver will only be applicable up to March 31, 2022. For the capacities commissioned beyond March 31, 2022, the solar project developer will have to bear the applicable ISTS charges levied/leviable on the buying entity.
• The successful bidders/developers selected will not be allowed to avail any incentives related to solar manufacturing plants available under any central government program.
• The manufacturing facility should be able to produce cells with a minimum average efficiency of 21 percent, and at least 30 percent of the installed capacity should be capable of producing cells with an average efficiency 22 percent or more. The average efficiency of the module should be at least 19 percent.
• The manufacturing plant developed will achieve the specified efficiency levels. A stabilization period of three months from the date of actual commercial operation of manufacturing will be granted to the successful bidders/ developers to establish the specified efficiency levels.
• A performance bank guarantee of Rs.600,000 (~$8414.56)/MW will be linked towards the demonstration of specified efficiency levels. SECI will constitute a committee for examining the efficiency levels. In case of any default or failure in achieving so, the constituted committee will examine and recommend further course of action including forfeiture of the performance bank guarantee.
• If commissioning of the project is delayed beyond 12 months from the scheduled commissioning date, PPA will be terminated for the capacity not commissioned, and the performance bank guarantee will be forfeited on pro-rata basis at the rate of Rs.2 million (~$28048.52)/MW corresponding to the capacity remaining to be commissioned.

Earlier in May 2018, SECI had tendered 5 GW of manufacturing capacity linked to ISTS-connected solar projects for an aggregate capacity of 10 GW which was later reduced to 3 GW.

Image credit: ADB