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					</table><p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-pilot-implement-hydrogen-steel" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The government has launched pilot projects aimed at decarbonizing the steel sector using green hydrogen under the National Green Hydrogen Mission</strong></a>, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has said. The steel industry accounts for around 7% of greenhouse gas emissions annually and is one of the most polluting industries worldwide. The program aims to support the deployment of green hydrogen and its derivatives as fuel in the iron and steel-making process. It has an outlay of ₹4.55 billion (~$54.8 million) until the financial year 2029-30.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/residential-rooftop-solar-subsidy-increased-60" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Free electricity will be provided for households with a consumption of less than 300 units a month by installing rooftop solar systems on their homes</strong></a>. Central public sector undertakings (CPSUs) will be availing loans for setting up the systems, which will now carry a subsidy of 60% in place of the earlier 40%</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mp-solar-kusum-lowest-tariff-%e2%82%b92-42-kwh" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam has discovered the lowest tariff of ₹2.42 (~$0.029) /kWh in the auction for 300 MW grid-connected solar power</strong></a> projects under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan program at various locations in the state.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/seci-invites-offshore-wind-projects-in-tamil-nadu" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Solar Energy Corporation of India, on behalf of the National Institute of Wind Energy, has invited bids for the allocation of sea-bed lease rights</strong></a> for 4 GW offshore wind power projects on a build-own-operate basis. The last date for submitting bids is May 6, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/assam-tender-25-mw-solar-thermal-power-plant" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>The Assam Power Generation Corporation (</strong><strong>APGCL</strong><strong>) has floated a tender for a 25 MW ground-mounted solar power project on a turnkey basis at Namrup</strong></a> Thermal Power Station in Dibrugarh district. APGCL, along with Oil India, will form a joint venture and develop the solar project on about 107 acres of land at the Namrup power station.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mnre-designates-cpsu-rooftop-solar-adoption-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>MNRE has allotted CPSUs state-wise responsibility for accelerating the implementation of rooftop solar programs across the country</strong></a>. The CPSUs designated under the program include POWERGRID, NTPC, THDC, SJVN, Energy Efficiency Services, Damodar Valley Corporation, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, and NHPC.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ev-ride-hailing-platform-snap-e-secures-2-5-million-funding" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Electric Vehicle ride-hailing platform </strong><strong>Snap-E</strong><strong> has raised $2.5 million in a pre-series A funding round led by </strong><strong>Inflection Point Ventures</strong><strong>. The company is expected</strong></a> to allocate these funds for talent acquisition and technology upgrades and introduce tech-enabled capabilities. With a 100% electric fleet that is committed to offering sustainable, efficient, and affordable mobility solutions, the company will also leverage the funds to expand to other geographical locations.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/nextracker-q3-revenue-up-higher-deliveries" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Solar tracker firm </strong><strong>Nextracker</strong><strong> reported a 38% year-over-year jump in its revenue for the third quarter (Q3) of the financial year (FY) 2023-24</strong></a>, helped by higher deliveries in the U.S. and supply chain optimization. The company’s net income, however, fell to $41.3 million in Q3 FY24 from $42.5 million last year when Nextracker was a subsidiary of diversified manufacturing company Flex.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/mes-floats-solar-projects-jaipur-military-station" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Military Engineer Services has invited bids for 1.33 MW solar power projects at various locations at Jaipur Military Station. The last date for submission of bids</strong></a> is March 7, 2024. Bids will be opened on March 9. The planned schedule for the work within the tender scope is formulated using the Critical Path Method.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/novel-liquid-crystals-efficiency-perovskite-solar" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Researchers at </strong><strong>Northwestern University</strong><strong> have found that large-scale perovskite films, commonly used in solar technology, can be protected by liquid crystals</strong></a> that can respond to temperature change to avoid accumulating precipitation. The new protection method achieved a stabilized efficiency of 21% for solar modules with enhanced damp heat stability, that is, 85% relative humidity at 85 degrees Celsius and a size of 31 sq cm.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/mercom-staff/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Mercom Staff</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"></div></div><div class="clearfix"></div></div></div>

Daily News Wrap-Up: MNRE to Implement Green Hydrogen in Steel Industry


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					</table><p>The Assam Power Generation Corporation (<a href="https://www.apgcl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APGCL</a>) has floated a tender to develop a 25 MW ground-mounted solar power project on a turnkey basis at Namrup Thermal Power Station in Dibrugarh district.</p>
<p>APGCL, along with <a href="https://cap.oilindia.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oil India</a>, will form a joint venture and develop the solar project on about 107 acres of land at the Namrup power station.</p>
<p>The scope of work includes the design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing, and commissioning, along with operation and maintenance for five years.</p>
<p>The selected bidder will also need to evacuate the power to a nearby 220/33 kV substation of Assam Electricity Grid Corporation (<a href="http://www.aegcl.co.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AEGCL</a>). The interconnection will require five inverter transformer stations, pooled together at a control room with an indoor 33 kV high-tension panel and a 1.5 km long underground cable from the control room to the grid substation.</p>
<p>Bidders must make an earnest money deposit of ₹20 million (~$240,100).</p>
<p>The last date for the submission of bids is March 4, 2024.</p>
<p>The project must be commissioned within one year from the date of signing the contract.</p>
<p>Bidders must have executed projects with a similar scope of work for a cumulative 20 MW of grid-connected solar projects in the last five years, including at least one year of operation and management of a minimum 25 MW grid-connected solar project in the last seven years.</p>
<p>The minimum average annual turnover of the bidders in the last three financial should be ₹600 million (~$7.2 million). They should have a minimum working capital of ₹100 million (~$1.2 million) as per the last audited financial statement. In case of inadequate working capital, they should furnish a letter from a bank, having a net worth not less than ₹5 billion (~$60.2 million), confirming the availability of the line of credit for more than or equal to ₹100 million (~$1.2 million).</p>
<p>Bids from a joint venture or a consortium will not be considered.</p>
<p>Last year, APGCL <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/assam-consultancy-tender-20-mw-floating-solar-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited bids</a> from consultants to provide project management consultancy services for a 20 MW floating solar project at Son Beel Lake in the Karimganj district.</p>
<p>Subscribe to Mercom’s <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a> for timely updates on all solar tenders issued by various agencies in India.</p>
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Assam Floats Tender for 25 MW Solar Project at Thermal Power Plant


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					</table><p>The Assam Cabinet has given in-principle approval for setting up 620 MW of renewable energy projects under a joint venture between the Assam Power Generation Corporation (<a href="https://www.apgcl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APGCL</a>) and <a href="https://www.oil-india.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oil India</a>.</p>
<p>The projects include three agrivoltaic projects with a cumulative capacity of 250 MW.</p>
<p>The seven green projects are:</p>
<ul>
<li>70 MW Sonbeel floating solar project</li>
<li>100 MW Tezpur agrivoltaic project</li>
<li>40 MW Golaghat floating solar project</li>
<li>200 MW Margherita solar project</li>
<li>50 MW Lower Kopili agrivoltaic project,</li>
<li>60 MW Chandrapur solar project</li>
<li>100 MW Batadrava agrivoltaic project</li>
</ul>
<p>These projects are expected to generate 1,733 employment opportunities during the construction and operation phases. Around 125 small producer organizations and 1,250 farmer families will also benefit from the proposed agrivoltaic projects.</p>
<p>The state cabinet also approved a proposal to set up a 70 MW solar project at Khudigaon under the Bilaspara Revenue Circle in the Dhubri district. The power would be sold to the Assam Power Distribution Company (APDCL). The project will be developed on a build, own, and operate model.</p>
<p>Last November, APDCL <a href="https://mercomindia.com/assam-consultancy-tender-1-gw-solar-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids from consultants to prepare a detailed project report for a 1 GW grid-connected solar project in the Karbi Anglong district. The project will be developed under the ‘Mukhya Mantri Sauro Shakti Prokolpo’ program and funded by the Asian Development Bank.</p>
<p>Earlier, SJVN Green Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SJVN, had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/sjvn-to-develop-1-gw-of-solar-projects-in-assam/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> a memorandum of understanding with APDCL to invest ₹60 billion ($728.32 million) to develop 1,000 MW of floating solar projects. The projects are expected to generate 2,192 million units (MU) in the first year after commissioning and scale up to 50,425 MU of cumulative energy over the next 25 years.</p>
<p>Also, last year, Azure Power had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/daily-news-wrap-up-azure-commissions-assams-solar-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the commissioning of its 90 MW solar project in Assam, the largest in the state. The project spread across four districts – Udalguri, Boko, Nagaon, and Cachar, was commissioned in phases. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had inaugurated the project.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
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<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
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Assam Cabinet Approves Setting Up of 620 MW of Renewable Energy Projects

<p>The Asian Development Bank (<a href="https://www.adb.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ADB</a>) has approved a $231 million loan to develop the Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power (LKHEP) facility in Assam.</p>
<p>The Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Power facility will utilize water from the Kopili river to produce around 120 MW of electricity, specifically during peak demand periods. The project will double the hydropower generation capacity of Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (<a href="https://www.apgcl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">APGCL</a>), ADB said in a press release.</p>
<p>The funding is the third and largest tranche of the $300 million allocated under the Assam Power Sector Investment Program approved by ADB in 2014. It has so far funded the upgradation of the 70 MW Lakwa gas project as well as power distribution networks in Assam.</p>
<p>The program will also provide funding for APGCL’s enterprise resource planning system and support implementing measures to enhance its financial management. Under the plan, steps would be taken to reduce acidity in the Kopili river.</p>
<p>Community-based disaster resilience initiatives and resource management will also be financed through project funding worth $2 million from ADB’s Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction.</p>
<p>“This project will produce clean energy and help address the growing demand for electricity in the state of Assam. It will also help state power companies reduce their dependence on expensive electricity from fossil fuel sources. Providing reliable power supply will promote economic growth, create employment opportunities, and attract investments,” said Len George, Principal Energy Specialist of ADB.</p>
<p>Earlier this month, ADB <a href="https://mercomindia.com/adb-approves-loan-bengaluru/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">approved</a> a $190 million (~₹13.9 billion) loan to upgrade the power distribution system in  Bengaluru in Karnataka.</p>
<p>Mercom previously <a href="https://mercomindia.com/adb-upgrade-uttar-pradesh/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that ADB  had approved a $430 million multi-tranche financing facility to improve the reliability and quality of power supply in Uttar Pradesh. The funding would be utilized for the Uttar Pradesh Power Distribution Network Rehabilitation project, which would enhance the sustainability and efficiency of the electricity supply in the state.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Harsh Shukla</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Harsh-Shukla-293x300-1-new.jpg" width="99" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Harsh Shukla</strong> </a>is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/harsh-shukla/">More articles from Harsh Shukla.</a></p>
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Asian Development Bank Approves $231 Million Loan for a Hydropower Project in Assam

<p>The Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (<a href="https://www.apgcl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">APGCL</a>) has invited expressions of interest (EoI) from financial institutions for advancing a term loan to finance a 25 MW solar project in Namrup, Assam.</p>
<p>The loan will be used to meet the capital expenditure involved in the project. The last date for the receipt of EoI documents is December 21, 2020. Submitted EoI documents will be opened on this date, and negotiations will commence subsequently.</p>
<p>The project is expected to cost ₹950 million (~$12.9 million). APGCL intends to finance ₹760 million (~$10.3 million) of the total cost through the term loan. It said the repayment period must be 15 years and the moratorium period must be two years.</p>
<p>Applicants are expected to submit details including the proposed loan amount, interest rate, loan term, moratorium period, repayment schedule, interest payment options, among others.</p>
<p>To be eligible to participate in the EoI, applicants must be scheduled commercial banks or financial institutions registered with the reserve bank of India. They are expected to have a minimum turnover of ₹30 billion (~$407.3 million) for their loan portfolio.</p>
<p>Prospective bidders must also have previous experience providing large-scale, long-term financing to government institutions, public sector undertakings (PSUs), or private entities. Applications accompanied by all required documentation will be reviewed by a panel committee and are liable to further negotiation.</p>
<p>According to <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-project-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker</a>, the state currently has a solar capacity of 190 MW under development as of September 2020.</p>
<p>In February, the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited reissued a request for selection to procure a cumulative capacity of 100 MW of power from grid-connected solar projects in four regions of the state through a tariff-based competitive bidding process.</p>
<p>In March, Jakson Group, an engineering, procurement, and construction company, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/jakson-group-develop-70-mw-solar-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">announced</a> that it had signed a power purchase agreement with the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) for a 70 MW solar power project at Amguri, Sivasagar district of Assam.</p>
<p>According to Mercom Capital Group’s Q3 2020 Solar Funding and M&amp;A <a href="https://mercomcapital.com/product/9m-q3-2020-solar-funding-ma-report/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Report</a>, approximately 9 GW of large-scale solar projects received funding in Q3 2020 compared to 4.1 GW in Q2 2020. A total of 81 investors participated in Q3 2020 compared to 50 investors in Q2 2020.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/nithin-thomas-prasad/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Nithin Thomas</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Nithin-2-1.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Nithin Thomas,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/author/nithin-thomas-prasad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Nithin Thomas.</a></p>
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<div class="authorboxn"><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Nithin-2-1.jpg" width="102" height="102" /><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/author/nithin-thomas-prasad/" rel="noopener">Nithin Thomas</a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Reuters News, he has covered oil, metals and agricultural commodity markets across global markets. He has also covered refinery and pipeline explosions, oil and gas leaks, Atlantic region hurricane developments, and other natural disasters. Nithin holds a Masters Degree in Applied Economics from Christ University, Bangalore and a Bachelor&#8217;s Degree in Commerce from Loyola College, Chennai.<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/author/nithin-thomas-prasad/" rel="noopener">More articles from Nithin Thomas Prasad</a></div>
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Assam Power Generation Corporation Seeks ₹760 Million Loan for a 25 MW Solar Project

<p>The Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (<a href="https://www.apdcl.org/irj/go/km/docs/internet/ASSAM/webpage/pages/Home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">APDCL</a>) has floated a tender to develop 30 MW of grid-connected solar PV power projects.</p>
<p>The capacity has been tendered under the Central public sector Undertaking (CPSU) Phase II program. The projects of 10 MW each are to be set up in the lower Assam zone, central Assam zone, and in the region of Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi.</p>
<p>The ceiling price has been set at ₹3.13 (~$0.043)/kWh and the last date for the submission of bids is January 27, 2020. A pre-bidding meeting will take place on January 17, 2020.</p>
<p>The scope of work includes the design, construction, and supply of solar power generating systems with domestic content requirement (DCR). The project developer will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) for 25 years. It also includes the procurement of land and construction of evacuation facilities.</p>
<p>The interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹655,000 (~$9,095)/MW as the earnest money deposit (EMD) for each of the three regions.</p>
<p>The successful bidders will also have to submit an amount of ₹1,637,000 (~$22,732)/MW as the contract performance guarantee amount.</p>
<p>The minimum capacity allocated to a bidder is 1 MW, and the maximum allocation to a single bidder will be 30 MW.</p>
<p>The scheduled date of commissioning (SCD) is 18 months from the date of issuance of the letter of award (LoA). The power producer will have to quote the capacity utilization factor (CUF) of their project at the time of submission of the bid. The quoted CUF should not be less than 16.21% over a year.</p>
<p>A bidder can participate either as a single bidder or a consortium. Partnership firms or limited liability partnership (LLP) or limited liability company (LLC) can also participate in this bidding process.</p>
<p>If the successful bidder is a consortium, then all the members of the consortium together should subscribe and hold at least 51% of the paid-up share capital. The lead member of the consortium should subscribe and hold at least 26% of the paid-up share capital with voting rights of the SPV from the date of its incorporation until the expiry of the first contract year.</p>
<p>As far as the financial eligibility is concerned, the net worth of the bidder as on the last day of the preceding financial year should not be less than ₹6.55 million (~$90,959)/MW.</p>
<p>The minimum annual turnover of the bidder should be ₹5 million (~$69,434)/MW during the previous financial and the internal resource generation capability, in the form of profit before depreciation interest and taxes (PBDIT) should be for a minimum amount of ₹1 million (~$13,887)/MW, as on the last date of the previous financial year.</p>
<p>The state government of Assam has a target to install 590 MW of solar energy projects through solar parks, rooftop, and off-grid projects by 2020. However, Assam is one of the least developed states in the country when it comes to renewable energy sources. According to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-project-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">India Solar Project Tracker</a>, the state currently has a negligible solar capacity of 100 MW under development.</p>
<p>Previously, the Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (<a href="https://www.apgcl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">APGCL</a>) had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/assam-floats-tender-solar-project-namrup-thermal-station/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a tender for a 20 MW solar power project at the state’s Namrup Thermal Power Station.</p>
<p>Last year, the state <a href="https://mercomindia.com/assam-draft-policy-solar-rpo-target/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a draft policy announcing its renewable purchase obligation (RPO) from 2019 to 2022. The draft policy had also amended certain sections of the principle regulation. The renewable purchase obligation for FY 2020, FY 2021, and FY 2022 will be 17.5%, 19%, and 21%, respectively.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Rakesh Ranjan</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><div class="designboxt">
<p><img class="alignleft" style="border-radius: 50%;height: 50px;margin-top: -4px;border: 1px solid #00b451" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="50" /></p>
<p><strong style="text-decoration: underline">Rakesh Ranjan,</strong> Staff reporter at Mercom India<br />
<a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
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<p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Rakesh-Headshot-crop-2.jpg" width="77" height="102" /><a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong style="color: #00b451">Rakesh Ranjan</strong></a> is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Prior to joining Mercom, he worked in many roles as a business correspondent, assistant editor, senior content writer, and sub-editor with bcfocus.com, CIOReview/Silicon India, Verbinden Communication, and Bangalore Bias. Rakesh holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/rakesh-ranjan-parashar/" rel="noopener noreferrer">More articles from Rakesh Ranjan.</a></p>
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Assam Invites Bids for 30 MW of Solar Projects Under CPSU Program

<p>The Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (<a href="https://www.apgcl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">APGCL</a>) has issued a request for proposal (RfP) for a 20 MW solar power project at the state’s Namrup Thermal Power Station.</p>
<p>The scope of work includes the design, construction, installation, testing, and commissioning of the solar project. The tender also includes the associated transmission system along with the operation and maintenance of the project for five years.</p>
<p>The last date for the submission of bids is December 2, 2019.</p>
<p>The bidders need to deposit a sum of ₹200 million (~$2.8 million) as the earnest money deposit (EMD) to participate in the tender.</p>
<p>According to APGCL, the bidder should have designed, supplied, installed, and commissioned at least 15 MW of solar projects in India during the last five years. Out of the 15 MW, at least one should be a 5 MW grid-connected project.</p>
<p>Regarding the financial eligibility, the successful bidder should have a minimum average annual turnover of ₹45 million (~$6.4 million) in the preceding three financial years.</p>
<p>Further, the internal resource generation capability of the bidder for the financial year that ended on March 31, 2019, should be less than ₹125 million (~$1.8 million), which is ₹5 million (~$70,500)/MW of the quoted capacity.</p>
<p>The solar photovoltaic modules used should have an efficiency of more than 15.5 % for multicrystalline, and 17% for monocrystalline silicon-based modules.</p>
<p>The project should be completed within 180 days from the issue of letter of allotment.</p>
<p>Recently, the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/assam-tender-rooftop-floating-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">issued</a> a request for proposal (RfS) for 940 kW of off-grid rooftop solar projects at various rural primary healthcare centers (PHC) across the state.</p>
<p>The state government of Assam has a target to install 590 MW of solar energy projects through solar parks, rooftop, and off-grid projects by 2020. However, Assam is one of the least developed states in the country when it comes to renewable energy sources. According to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-project-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">India Solar Project Tracker</a>, the state currently has a negligible solar capacity with only 100 MW capacity under development.</p>
<p>In September 2019, Mercom had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/assam-draft-policy-solar-rpo-target/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a> that Assam issued a draft policy announcing its renewable purchase obligation (RPO) from 2019 to 2022.  The RPO for FY 2020, FY 2021, and FY 2022 will be 17.5%, 19%, and 21%, respectively.</p>
<p>Image credit: Axium Solar</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/anjana/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Anjana Parikh</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p><img class="alignleft" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Anjana2.png" width="112" height="121" />Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.</p>
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Assam Floats Tender for a 20 MW Solar Project at Namrup Thermal Station

<p>Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (<a href="http://www.apgcl.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APGCL</a>) has issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) for the development of 70 MW of grid-connected solar photovoltaic projects in Amguri Solar Park in the state.</p>
<p>The projects will be developed on build own-operate basis for the procurement of solar power by the APDCL for a period of 25 years.</p>
<p>The last date for the submission of bids is February 6, 2019. The technical bids will open on February 8, 2019 and the price bids will open on February 18, 2019.</p>
<p>The upper tariff limit for the bids is ₹3.50 (~$ 0.049)/kWh.</p>
<p>The bidders will be free to avail fiscal incentives like accelerated depreciation, concessional customs and excise duties, tax holidays, benefits from trading of carbon credits, as available for such projects.</p>
<p>The maximum period for commissioning of project is 12 months.</p>
<p>To be eligible to bid, the net worth of the bidder should not be less than ₹6.1 million (~$ 0.086 million) per MW in the preceding financial year.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/azure-maheswari-mining-win-apdcl-solar-tender/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earlier</a>, Mercom reported that <a href="http://www.apdcl.gov.in/irj/go/km/docs/internet/ASSAM/webpage/pages/Home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">APDCL</a> auctioned 85 MW of grid-connected solar projects in which <a href="https://www.azurepower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Azure Power</a> won 75 MW and Maheswari Mining and Energy won 10 MW of grid-connected solar PV projects.</p>
<p>In January 2018, APDCL had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/assam-100-mw-grid-connected-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> tenders for the development of 100 MW (4X25 MW) of ground-mounted solar PV projects  under build own operate (BOO) basis in four separate regions spread across the state of Assam.</p>
<p>The lowest tariffs discovered for the four regions were ₹3.70 (~$0.056)/kWh, ₹3.24 (~$0.048)/kWh, ₹3.19 (~$0.048)/kWh and ₹3.17 (~$0.047)/kWh.</p>
<p><a href="https://mercomindia.com/thin-film-solar-cells-manufacturing-facility-assam/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Recently</a>, Quantum Materials Corp (QMC), a nanomaterial and quantum dot manufacturer, signed an agreement with Amtronics CC for the development, manufacture, and commercialization of thin-film quantum dot solar cells (QDSC) and solid-state LED lighting (SSL) in the state of Assam.</p>
<div class="saboxplugin-wrap" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person" itemscope itemprop="author"><div class="saboxplugin-tab"><div class="saboxplugin-gravatar"></div><div class="saboxplugin-authorname"><a href="https://cms.mercomindia.com/author/nitin/" class="vcard author" rel="author"><span class="fn">Nitin Kabeer</span></a></div><div class="saboxplugin-desc"><div itemprop="description"><p><img class="alignleft wp-image-9822" src="https://mercomindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/nitin-2.png" alt="" width="99" height="105" /><span style="font-family: Calibri"><span style="color: #000000"><span>Nitin is a staff reporter at Mercomindia.com and writes on renewable energy and related sectors. Prior to Mercom, Nitin has worked for CNN IBN, India News, Agricultural Spectrum and Bureaucracy Today. He received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism &amp; Communication from Manipal Institute of Communication at Manipal University and Master’s degree in International Relations from Jindal School of International Affairs. <a href="https://mercomindia.com/author/nitin/">More articles from Nitin Kabeer</a></span></span></span></p>
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