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					</table><a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/west-bengal-invites-bids-solar-project/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company has invited bids to build a 10 MW solar power project on a turnkey basis along the Teesta Canal bank</a> in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal. The last date for bid submission is March 7, 2024. Bids will be opened on March 11. The tender is for the procurement, fabrication, galvanization, installation, and fixing of steel structures, solar modules, array junction boxes, surge protection devices, and lightning arrestors.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/central-pool-commence-operations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ministry of Power has declared that the central pools for solar power and solar-wind hybrid power have begun operations from February 15, 2024.</a> Any interstate transmission system connected solar and solar-wind hybrid capacity bid after this date will fall under their corresponding pools. The operation of these pools will follow a first-in, first-out approach. This means that projects receiving their letter of award first will be included and sold first within their respective pools.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/powergrid-approves-investments-transmission-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Government-owned power transmission utility Power Grid Corporation of India has approved investments in two projects totaling ₹6.5 billion (~$79.03 million).</a> The company’s board of directors greenlit an investment of ₹5.1 billion (~$62.03 million) for the implementation of a unified load dispatch and communication phase-III supervisory control and data acquisitions systems and energy management systems upgradation project at northern state load dispatch centers. The project is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2025.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/daman-and-diu-floats-solar-projects-mw/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Electricity Department of Daman and Diu has floated a tender for the enhancement of 2.56 MWdc capacity at an existing 6 MWdc solar power project</a> and the enhancement of 4.91 MWdc capacity at a 3 MWdc solar power project in Diu. Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹5 million (~$60,229). The successful bidder must submit a performance bank guarantee equivalent to 10% of the contract value. The last date for the submission of bids is February 27, 2024. Bids will be opened on February 29.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/ntpc-renewable-store-solar-modules/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NTPC Renewable Energy has invited bids to unload and store solar modules of a total capacity of 631.28 MW for the Bhadla II solar park</a> at the 320 MW Bhainsara project site in Rajasthan. The storage period will be six months with a two-month extension provision. The last day to submit the bids is February 20, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day. Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹500,000 (~$6,023).
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/bloom-energy-records-revenue-a-22-8-yoy-decline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fuel cell manufacturer Bloom Energy, in the fourth quarter of 2023, recorded a revenue of $357 million, marking a 22.8% year-over-year (YoY) decline</a> from $462.6 million, impacted mainly due to a drop in product sales during the quarter. The product and service revenue for the same period in 2023 totaled $314.4 million, reflecting a decrease of 21.4% YoY in comparison to the $400.2 million. The company recorded a net profit of ₹4.12 million (~$49,645), improving from the net loss of ₹ 50.78 million (~$611,916).
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/bpcl-invites-bids-green-hydrogen-cochin-airport/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bharat Petroleum Corporation has invited bids to set up a green hydrogen plant and refueling station at the 100% solar-powered Cochin International Airport</a> in Kochi, Kerala. The last date to submit bids is March 1, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day. The proposed facility, to be used to refuel hydrogen buses, will have the capacity to produce 100 normal cubic meters per hour (Nm3/hr) of green hydrogen using a 500-kW electrolyzer system. It must also have the provision to expand up to 200 Nm3 /h.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/researchers-use-oxidation-in-ibc-solar-cells/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Researchers at the International Solar Energy Research Center Konstanz and the Delft University of Technology have found a way to pattern the rear end of an Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) cell</a> to enhance the efficiency of the solar cells by making some parts of it thicker. The researchers developed a novel technique to pattern the backside or the rear end of IBC solar cells through a laser doping process, which enhances oxidation in selected areas.
<a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/corporate-buying-clean-energy-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Corporations announced a record 46 GW of solar and wind contracts in 2023, with a 12% year-over-year increase from 41 GW in 2022</a>, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s Corporate Energy Market outlook for the first half of fiscal year 2024. Companies’ clean energy goals drove these record contracts. The record increase in contracts was fueled by companies’ commitments to clean energy goals. In 2023, 45% or 20.9 GW of power purchase agreements were announced in the Americas, with Europe following with 33% or 15.4 GW.

Daily News Wrap-Up: West Bengal’s Tender for 10 MW Solar Power Project

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					</table>The <a href="https://dded.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electricity Department of Daman and Diu</a> has floated a tender for the enhancement of 2.56 MWdc capacity at an existing 6 MWdc solar power project and the enhancement of 4.91 MWdc capacity at a 3 MWdc solar power project in Diu.
The scope of work includes the operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) of the projects.
Bidders must submit a non-refundable processing fee of ₹20,000 (~$240.91) in the form of a demand draft.
Bidders have to submit an earnest money deposit of ₹5 million (~$60,229).
The successful bidder must submit a performance bank guarantee equivalent to 10% of the contract value within fourteen days from the issuance of the letter of award or work order.
The last date for the submission of bids is February 27, 2024. Bids will be opened on February 29.
Bidders should be reputable engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors with expertise in the design, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance of ground-mounted solar power projects for a minimum of 3 MW at a single location.
Additionally, the bidder or joint venture (JV) partner should have experience working in an 11 KV or higher power system over the past three years.
The maximum number of JV partners should not exceed two, and the JV agreement must clearly designate the lead partner with authority to fulfill the duties outlined in the tender.
None of the single bidders or JV partners should be under any government, private, or public company ban or blacklist.
Bidders&#8217; net worth must be positive, and the average annual financial turnover for any three out of the last five accounting years, ending on March 31, 2023, should be at least ₹500 million (~$6.02 million) for each JV partner individually.
The project must utilize solar modules with a minimum rating of 540 Wp, featuring a Mono PERC rating. Additionally, a central inverter (Power Conditioner Unit &#8211; PCU) with a minimum rating of 1 MW is necessary, with a preference for manufacturers such as Fimer (ABB) or Delta.
The initial year of O&amp;M will serve as the defect liability period and must be provided free of charge. Following this, the successful bidder will be responsible for an additional five years of O&amp;M.
Maintenance of major items must adhere to original equipment manufacturer recommendations. The contractor is obligated to comply with any guidelines issued by the electricity department.
The O&amp;M contractor must coordinate with existing plant agencies. The O&amp;M charges, totaling 15% of the contract value, will be retained by the Electricity Department for five years.
After the first year, 3% of this amount, subject to any deductions or adjustments, will be released at the successful completion of each subsequent contract year, starting from the second year. The project must be handed over in full working condition upon the expiry of the contract period.
Last year, the Electricity Department of Daman and Diu <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/solar-om-tender-daman-diu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> an O&amp;M tender for 10 MW of ground-mounted grid-connected solar projects in the union territory.
Subscribe to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a> to stay on top of tender-auction activities in real time.

Daman and Diu Floats Tender to Enhance Capacities of Solar Projects by 7.47 MW

The <a href="https://dded.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electricity Department of Daman and Diu</a> has issued a tender for the operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) for five years of multiple rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems totaling 4,519 kW on government buildings in Daman and Diu.
In Daman, there are rooftop solar systems totaling 2,100 kW and 2,419 kW in Diu. Rooftop solar systems of capacities ranging from 2 kW to 120 kW are installed in 135 locations at various government buildings in the Daman district. Rooftop solar systems of 3 kW to 230 kW are installed in 119 locations in Diu. The tender issued is for the O&amp;M of these rooftop solar systems.
Bidders can start downloading the tender documents from April 4, and the last date for submitting hard copies of bids is April 18. The bids will be opened on April 20 and will be valid for six months from the date of opening the bid.
The initial period of contract for the O&amp;M will be one year, and the contract will be renewed every year, based on the satisfactory performance of the contractor.
The bidder must maintain the rooftop solar systems with associated equipment, including the supply of spares, replacing damaged equipment and accessories, and cleaning PV panels once every 15 days throughout the year. The successful bidder must also submit readings from the solar generation meter, inverter data, and distribution company (DISCOM) meter.
Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹50,000 (~$655) and a tender fee of ₹1,500 (~$20). The successful bidder must deposit 10% of the yearly contract amount of the declared kW towards the performance bank guarantee (PBG). The PBG must be deposited within 14 days of the Letter of Award (LOA) being issued.
The bid winners must have previous experience as an O&amp;M or engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor. They must have carried out designing, supply, installation, testing and commissioning, and operation and maintenance of solar projects for at least three years.
The successful bidders must have experience in O&amp;M of a minimum 100 kW rooftop solar PV system at a single location with government undertaking. The contractor must have a valid electrical supervisor and contractor license.
The average yearly turnover of the successful bidder as of March 31, 2021, must be ₹10 million (~$132,390).
To promote renewable energy and fulfill renewable energy obligation (RPO), the Electricity Department of Daman and Diu had set up ground-mounted solar PV projects of 1 MW at Daman and 9 (3+6) MW in Diu. In March 2022, the electricity department had<a href="https://mercomindia.com/solar-om-tender-daman-diu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> invited</a> an O&amp;M tender for these 10 MW of ground-mounted grid-connected solar projects in the union territory.
Subscribe to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a> to stay on top of tender-auction activities in real-time.

O&M Tender Issued for Rooftop Solar Systems on Government Buildings in Daman and Diu

The <a href="https://dded.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electricity Department of Daman and Diu</a> has issued an operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) tender for 10 MW of ground-mounted grid-connected solar projects in the union territory.
Bidders must provide comprehensive O&amp;M services in two lots for five years. Lot one includes a 3 MW and a 6 MW solar project in Fudam, Diu. Lot two is a 1 MW solar project in Magarwada, Daman.
The scope of work includes maintaining the solar projects with associated equipment and materials. It also consists of the supply of spare parts, replacing damaged equipment and accessories, and cleaning solar modules once every 15 days throughout the year.
Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹50,000 (~$655) and a tender fee of ₹1,500 (~$20) for lot one. For lot two, bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹20,000 (~$262) plus a tender fee of ₹1,500 (~$20). Bidders must also submit a non-refundable tender fee of ₹1,000 (~$13) each for lot one and two.
Successful bidders must furnish an equipment damage security of ₹2 million (~$26,182)/MW for equipment damage protection during operation and maintenance. Successful bidders must also deposit 10% of the yearly contract amount towards the performance guarantee within 14 days from receiving the work order for each lot.
The bidders must be O&amp;M or engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors having experience designing, supplying, installing, testing, commissioning, operating, and maintaining solar projects for at least three years. The bidders should have experience working with 11 KV or above power systems.
The bidders must have a positive net worth and average annual financial turnover of ₹10 million (~$ 130,908) in the last three accounting years ending March 31, 2021.
The initial contract will be awarded for one year. Based on satisfactory performance, the contract will be renewed.
As the project capacity is under augmentation, the cumulative capacity may change as per upgradation approval. Therefore, the payment will be calculated based on the actual installation capacity as declared by Electricity Department monthly.
Subscribe to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a> to stay on top of tender-auction activities in real-time.

O&M Tender Issued for 10 MW of Solar Projects in Daman and Diu

<a href="https://www.torrentpower.com/index.php/site/indexs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Torrent Power</a> announced the signing of a Share Purchase Agreement (SPA) and Shareholders Agreement (SHA) to complete the acquisition of 51% equity share capital in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (DNH&amp;DD) power distribution corporation.
The administrator of the Union Territory (UT) of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu will be the holding entity, and DNH&amp;DD Power Distribution Corporation is the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for this transaction. The SPV will distribute power and manage the retail supply of electricity.
Torrent Power had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/torrent-power-acquire-nagar-daman-discoms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">emerged</a> as the highest bidder in February 2021 to acquire a controlling stake in the union territory DISCOM. The acquisition was a part of the government of India’s initiative to privatize DISCOMs.
Background
Aligning with the government of India’s proposal to privatize DISCOMs in the UTs, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu had <a href="https://mercomindia.com/another-discom-seeks-bidders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> a tender in December 2020 to acquire a 51% stake in the DNH&amp;DD DISCOM (distribution company).
Torrent Power had emerged as the winner in this auction, which was later placed on hold by the Bombay High Court after a public interest litigation was <a href="https://mercomindia.com/bombay-hc-stays-discom-privatization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed</a> against the privatization of DISCOMs.
The Supreme Court later <a href="https://mercomindia.com/supreme-court-lifts-stay-dadra-nagar-haveli-daman-diu-discom-privatization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lifted</a> the stay in July 2021, which was then followed by the Union Cabinet’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/dadra-daman-discom-privatization/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approval</a> of the formation of the SPV to complete the acquisition.
DNH&amp;DD distribution corporation will be incorporated as a wholly-owned government company, with a trust created to manage the terminal benefits of the personnel transfer to the newly formed company. The transfer of assets, liabilities, and personnel to the new company would be followed as per the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Electricity (Reorganization and Reforms) Transfer Scheme, 2020.
The privatization of the DISCOMs is expected to provide better services to over 145,000 consumers across the UT with operational improvements and functional efficiencies.
With the acquisition, Torrent Power’s output will increase to 24 billion units (BU) of electricity per annum to over 3.85 million customers across 12 cities spread across three states — and cater to a peak demand of over 5 GW.
Torrent Power has a cumulative power generation capacity of 3.9 GW, including 2.7 GW of gas and 800 MW of renewables. The company also has 700 MW of renewable energy capacity under the advanced stage of acquisition or development.
In February 2022, Torrent Power <a href="https://mercomindia.com/torrent-acquires-25-mw-solar-project-gujarat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entered</a> into a share purchase agreement with Blue Daimond Properties Balrampur Chini Mills to acquire a 100% stake in a 25 MW solar project in Gujarat for ₹1.63 billion (~$21.71 million).
Torrent Power recently <a href="https://mercomindia.com/torrent-powers-revenue-16-yoy-9m-fy-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> a 16% year-on-year (YoY) rise in revenue in its financial results for the first nine months (9M) of the financial year (FY) 2022 to ₹105.14 billion (~$1.41 billion).

Torrent Power Acquires 51% Stake in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu DISCOMs

The Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) in its order has directed Dadra and Nagar Haveli Power Distribution Corporation Limited (DNHPDCL) and the electricity department of Daman &amp; Diu to bid sensibly and purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) in the remaining months of the financial year 2019-2020 to meet its renewable purchase obligation (RPO) targets.
The Commission stressed that in the case of non-compliance with the Commission’s earlier order, it would be compelled to take legal action against the two entities.
The JER has directed DNHPDCL to purchase the required number of RECs to achieve the target fixed by the commission. The Commission has further directed the electricity department of the union territory of Daman and Diu to comply with its earlier order and send an action plan for full RPO compliance within a week.
The Commission, in its earlier order, had given specific directions to the union territory for 100% compliance with the RPO targets as notified by the Commission from time to time. According to the JERC Regulations for the state of Goa and union territories, DNHPDCL was directed to purchase 11.5% energy from renewable energy sources out of the total consumption in the financial year 2019-2020. This amounts to 724.14 MUs during the year.
The chief engineer of DNHPDCL had filed an affidavit regarding RPO compliance up to November 30, 2019, for the financial year 2019-2020. He had submitted that the availability of non-solar RECs is hardly 50% against the market demand, while the settlement ratio is 43%. According to him, DNHPDCL had purchased 261.69 MUs non-solar RECs as against the non-solar backlog of 695.72 MUs.
It was further noted that the availability of solar RECs is hardly 21% against the market demand, and the settlement ratio is 13%, and solar RECs are being traded nearly 140% above the CERC notified floor price of ₹1,000 ($14.09).  As <a href="https://mercomindia.com/traded-volumes-solar-rec-november/">reported</a> by Mercom, a total of 54,453 solar RECs were traded on the power exchanges at ₹2,400 (~$33.9)/REC in November 2019.
After careful examination, the Commission observed that the total backlog for the financial year 2018-2019 stood at 779.64 MUs, and the total current RPO target for the financial year 2019-2020 stood at 724.14 MUs. So, the overall target to be achieved by DNHPDCL by March 2020 is 1,503.82 MUs.
To achieve the target, DNHPDCL said it would go for aggressive bidding for the procurement of solar and non-solar renewable energy certificates by increasing the number of certificates and quoting a higher price to meet the target.
The Commission, in its earlier order, had directed the DNHPDCL to make good the cumulative shortfall in RPO compliance by procuring physical renewable power. The commission had further advised DNHPDCL to bid sensibly and to purchase RECs phase-wise in all the four quarters of the financial year 2019-2020 and avoid purchasing RECs in the last quarter at a higher price.
The Commission made it clear that it was unhappy with the electricity department of Daman &amp; Diu as it had failed to exhibit any seriousness about meeting the shortfall in its RPO target. The Commission has directed the electricity department to bid sensibly in the remaining months of the financial year 2019-2020 and try to meet the RPO target as fixed by the Commission in its earlier order.
Earlier this year, the JERC for the state of Goa and union territories <a href="https://mercomindia.com/jerc-generic-tariffs-solar-renewable-goa/">issued</a> an order for the generic tariff applicable to renewable projects for 2019-20. The order has been in force since September 2, 2019, and will be applicable until March 31, 2020.
Previously, Mercom <a href="https://mercomindia.com/jerc-tariff-solar-wind-small-hydro-goa/">reported</a> that JERC had issued draft regulations for determining tariffs from renewable sources, including solar, wind, and small hydro. The JERC had proposed the generic tariff for solar (for gross metering), wind, and small hydro projects. For solar PV (gross metering), JERC had considered a useful life of 25 years, an interest rate of 10.52% in mainland areas and 11.52% in island areas.

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