The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI)’s solar PV tender coupled with manufacturing component has been extended yet again. The agency has now extended the bid submission deadline to April 22, 2019 from the earlier April 4, 2019. The techno-commercial bids will open on April 23, 2019.

This is the second bid extension for this tender. Earlier, the agency had extended the bid submission deadline to April 4, 2014, from March 18, 2019.

SECI had issued the new tender to set up 3 GW of grid-connected solar capacity linked to 1.5 GW of solar manufacturing unit in January 2019.

Last year in May, SECI had issued a similar tender for 5 GW of manufacturing capacity linked to ISTS-connected solar projects for an aggregate capacity of 10 GW. This was later reduced to 3 GW where the developers were to be provided guaranteed PPAs of 2,000 MW for a manufacturing capacity of 600 MW. Therefore, the total power projects awarded would have remained at 10 GW.

Later, as reported by Mercom, the tender witnessed many extensions of bid submission deadline because of lack of interest from the industry.

Last week, SECI amended the provision for “Change in Law” in the Request for Selection for the 3 GW interstate transmission system-connected solar photovoltaic capacity linked tender with 1.5 GW of manufacturing. This was the second time the RfS for this tender was amended.

SECI had tendered the capacity in January 2019 and then issued the first set of amendments to the RfS in February 2019. The minimum capacity for bidding is 1,000 MW of solar capacity linked with 500 MW of solar manufacturing. A single bidder can bid for the entire capacity.

The manufacturing unit and the solar PV projects will be developed on build own operate (BOO) basis. SECI will enter into a power purchase agreement with the successful bidders for the purchase of solar power for 25 years. The maximum tariff payable to the project developer is fixed at ₹2.75 (~$0.039)/ kWh for 25 years.

Recently, SECI also extended the bid submission deadline of 97.5 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar PV projects from March 27, 2019, to April 11, 2019. The techno-commercial bids will open on April 12, 2019.