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					</table>The Tripura Renewable Energy Department Agency <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/tripura-issues-tender-for-pre-feasibility-report-for-pumped-storage-project" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids for a pre-feasibility report for a pumped hydro storage project in the state. Bids must be submitted by January 30, 2025. Bids will be opened on the same day. Selected bidders must survey and prepare feasibility studies, alternative study reports, and detailed pre-feasibility reports for the project. They must complete these tasks within 90 days of the agreement’s execution.
Reliance Industries will <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/reliance-industries-bags-%E2%82%B980-million-transmission-project-from-recpdcl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">acquire</a> a 100% equity stake in Lakadia B Power Transmission from REC Power Development and Consultancy for ₹80 million (~$923,782) to establish an interstate transmission system to evacuate up to 3.5 GW of renewable energy from Lakadia in Gujarat. Lakadia B Power Transmission was incorporated on October 29, 2024, to establish the project and has yet to commence commercial operations. The tender was floated in September 2024. Reliance will design, engineer, construct, test, and commission the project.
Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company Concord Biotech <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/clean-max-wind-solar-project-concord-biotech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entered</a> into a strategic agreement to acquire a 26% equity stake in Clean Max Everglades, a Clean Max Enviro Energy Solutions special-purpose vehicle that is setting up a renewable energy project with a total capacity of 9.9 MW. Concord Biotech will procure power in captive mode from the 6.6 MW wind and 3.3 MW solar project for its facility at Dholka, Gujarat. The acquisition involves acquiring 26,000 equity shares at ₹10 (~$0.11) each, resulting in a 26% ownership stake for Concord Biotech.
A recent National Renewable Energy Laboratory study <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/floating-solar-us-reservoirs-nrel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">estimates</a> that floating solar installations on federally controlled reservoirs could generate between 861 and 1,042 GWdc of power. This contribution represents nearly half of the U.S.’s solar capacity requirements to achieve a decarbonized energy grid by 2050. The potential energy output varies based on factors such as reservoir floor slope and minimum water volume thresholds, emphasizing the importance of site-specific evaluations.
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/japan-bank-signs-agreement-to-lend-770-million-to-pfc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> an agreement to set up a credit line of JPY120 billion (~$770.64 million) with the government-owned Power Finance Corporation (PFC). JBIC’s share of the total credit line will be JPY72 billion (~$462.38 million). PFC secured the credit line under JBIC’s Global Action for Reconciling Economic Growth and Environmental Preservation program for India-based energy projects, including renewable and next-generation energy supply, energy-saving power generation, and heat supply.

Daily News Wrap-Up: Tripura Floats Consultancy Tender for Pumped Storage Project

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					</table>The Tripura Renewable Energy Department Agency (<a href="https://treda.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TREDA</a>) has invited bids for a pre-feasibility report for a pumped hydro storage project in the state.
Bids must be submitted by January 30, 2025. Bids will be opened on the same day.
Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹165,200 (~$1,911) and a non-refundable tender fee of ₹1,500 (~$17.36).
Selected bidders must survey and prepare feasibility studies, alternative study reports, and detailed pre-feasibility reports for the project. They must complete these tasks within 90 days of the agreement’s execution.
Key submission deadlines include a site visit and inception report within 30 days, an alternative study report within 60 days, a draft pre-feasibility report within 70 days, and the final report within 90 days.
Successful bidders must provide a performance bank guarantee of 5% of the total contract value, valid for four months, and a 60-day claim period.
The project’s estimated cost is ₹6.608 million (~$76,478).
The project is expected to be in Santipur or Thalikapur in Sakhan, North Tripura district. The final location will be confirmed upon receiving the letter of award.
Bidders must have completed or been engaged in at least three project management units/agencies/consultancy services in pumped storage or renewable energy projects with a cumulative value of ₹15 million (~$174,840) over the last five financial years.
Bidders must have a positive net worth and a minimum average annual turnover of ₹3.3 million (~$38,517) for any four of the last five financial years.
The Tripura government aims to generate 500 MW of renewable energy by 2030 to meet future energy requirements. TREDA has targeted the installation of ground-mounted grid-connected solar, rooftop, and floating solar projects, mini-grid and micro-grid solar and pumped hydro storage projects to achieve 500 MW goal by 2030.
In January 2024, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/government-solar-program-tribal-areas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> the President of India’s approval to implement a new solar power program with an outlay of ₹5.15 billion (~$61.9 million) for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups habitations and villages under the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan. The program will be implemented in Tripura, and 18 other states.
In February 2022, TREDA <a href="https://www.mercomindia.com/bids-invited-rooftop-solar-tripura" target="_blank" rel="noopener">issued</a> an engineering, procurement, and construction tender to develop 1 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects under the renewable energy service company model at various government buildings in the state.

Tripura Issues Tender for Pre-Feasibility Report for Pumped Storage Project

The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (<a href="http://treda.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TREDA</a>) has issued engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) tender to develop 1 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects under the renewable energy service company (RESCO) model at various government buildings in the state.
The last date to submit bids is March 2, 2022. Bids will be opened on the same day. The pre-bid meeting will take place on February 16.
Bidders should furnish ₹978,810 (~$13,114) as an earnest money deposit (EMD). The successful bidder must also submit ₹1.46 million (~$19,670) as a performance bank guarantee within 15 days of the issue of the letter of intent.
The scope of work includes the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, storage, civil work, erection, testing, and commissioning of grid-connected rooftop solar projects.
The successful bidder should commission the projects within 12 months from the date of issue of the letter of award. After commissioning these projects, the successful bidder must provide comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&amp;M) services for 25 years.
To participate in the competitive bidding process, bidders must have installed a total of 250 kW or above grid-connected solar power capacity in the last five financial years. Of this, one project should have a minimum capacity of 10 kW or above.
Bidders’ minimum average annual turnover should be ₹14.6 million (~$195,501) in any three financial years of the last four financial years.
The successful bidder must use Made in India crystalline solar cells with 15% or above efficiency. The bidder should also provide a 25-year warranty for solar modules. In addition, solar modules’ power degradation should not exceed more than 10% after ten years and 20% at the end of 25 years.
The solar modules used should be included in the ALMM list per the MNRE Approved Models and Manufacturers of Solar Photovoltaic Modules (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order, 2019.
Tripura State Electricity Corporation <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tripura-empanelment-tender-1-mw-residential-rooftop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids to empanel developers for 1 MW of rooftop solar projects on residential buildings at different locations in the state under Phase-II of the rooftop solar program in August 2021.
Mercom had earlier <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tender-issued-solar-agartala-airport-tripura/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, invited bids for setting up 2 MW of grid-connected ground-mounted solar projects at the Agartala airport in Tripura.
According to Mercom’s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">India Solar Tender Tracker</a>, TREDA has issued tenders for 1.6 MW of rooftop solar projects to date.
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Bids Invited to Install 1 MW of Rooftop Solar on Government Buildings in Tripura

The deputy chief minister of Tripura, Jishnu Dev Varma, said the state government has plans to install solar microgrids in 23 remote villages where power could not be provided through conventional means.
According to the news agency UNI, the state government has approved a plan to install solar microgrids in 23 remote villages at the cost of ₹23 million (~$312,150). Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (<a href="http://treda.nic.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TREDA</a>) would install systems in these villages.
The deputy CM also inaugurated a 2 kW solar microgrid at Sarkipara in Nunacherra autonomous district council village in Khowai district.
The system will provide electricity to 14 families as the villagers here have been demanding electricity for a long time; however, setting up a power line to such a location for less than 100 people was not feasible.
Addressing the media, the deputy chief minister said that around 12,000 solar lights were already distributed in several remote areas across Tripura, and plans to distribute another 15,000 solar lights were also in the pipeline.
The power deficit in the northeastern region is high compared to other parts of India. The region <a href="https://mercomindia.com/indias-peak-power-deficit-cea/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recorded</a> the highest energy supply deficit of 2.5% for the FY 2020-21, and the peak power deficit stood at 5.7%. To address this issue, the cabinet committee on economic affairs <a href="https://mercomindia.com/cabinet-approves-plan-for-power-infrastructure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> the revised cost estimate for the North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project with an estimated cost of ₹67 billion (~$910 million). The implementation is likely to create a reliable power grid and improve the region’s connectivity to the upcoming load centers and extend the benefits of grid-connected power to all consumers and beneficiaries. The program would also increase the per capita power consumption in the region.
Due to challenges in implementing large-scale solar projects, the state has been focusing on small and decentralized solar. Recently, the Tripura State Electricity Corporation (<a href="https://www.tsecl.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TSECL</a>) <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tripura-empanelment-tender-1-mw-residential-rooftop/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids to empanel developers to design, supply, install, and commission 1 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar projects on residential buildings at different locations in the state under Phase-II of the rooftop solar program.
Earlier this year, NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tender-issued-solar-agartala-airport-tripura/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">invited</a> bids for setting up 2 MW of grid-connected ground-mounted solar photovoltaic projects at the Agartala airport in Tripura.
TREDA had also <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tripura-tender-solarize-agricultural-pumps-kusum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">floated</a> a tender for the solarization of 1,300 grid-connected agricultural water pumps in the state. These pumps were allocated by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under Component-C of the KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahaabhiyan) program, which aims at the solarization of grid-connected agricultural pumps.

Tripura to Set Up Solar Microgrids in 23 Villages

The Tripura State Electricity Regulatory Commission (<a href="https://terc.tripura.gov.in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">TSERC</a>) has set ₹3.31 (~$0.045)/kWh as the levelized tariff for power from decentralized solar projects under component-A of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) in the state.
The Commission noted that all the other terms and conditions of the program would be applicable as per the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy&#8217;s (MNRE) guidelines. The levelized tariff will be valid for 25 years.
The Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL), the state transmission and distribution licensee, filed a petition with the Commission to establish the pre-fixed levelized tariff to purchase solar power from decentralized solar and other renewable projects.
These projects are owned by farmers and developers and range between 500 kW and 2 MW in capacity. These are located in the vicinity of rural grid substations under the PM KUSUM program (component-A). As per the program details, the power generated by the projects will be purchased by state distribution companies (DISCOM) at a pre-fixed tariff.
The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency (TREDA), the state nodal agency, said it would help farmers develop the projects. It noted that DISCOMs have already conducted substation-wise assessments for renewable generation capacity that can be injected at various 33/11 kV substations in rural areas. The total renewable capacity TSECL can support stands at 5 MW as per the assessments.
In its final order, the TSERC set the tariff for the projects to be set up by farmers, farmer groups, cooperatives, Panchayats, farmer producer organizations (FPO), water user associations (WUA) in the vicinity of rural grid substations at ₹3.31 (~$0.045)/kWh for 25 years. It also directed DISCOMs to publicize the program through print, electronic, and social media in Bengali and Kokborok to maximize reach for farmers&#8217; benefit.
In January, the TREDA <a href="https://mercomindia.com/tripura-tender-solarize-agricultural-pumps-kusum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">floated</a> a tender for the solarization of 1,300 grid-connected agricultural water pumps in the state. The scope of work included the design, manufacture, supply, erection, testing, and commissioning of the solarization of 2 horsepower (HP) pumps in the state on a turn-key basis.
According to Mercom&#8217;s <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-project-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">India Solar Project Tracker</a>, Tripura only has about 5 MW of solar projects in operation as of November 2020.
Recently, its neighboring state of Meghalaya also <a href="https://mercomindia.com/meghalaya-floats-tender-10-mw-solar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">floated</a> an expression of interest for installing 10 MW of solar projects under component A of the KUSUM program.
According to <a href="https://mercomindia.com/product/india-solar-tender-tracker/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Mercom India Tender Tracker</a>, 290 MW of solar tenders have been issued for decentralized solar projects under Component-A of the KUSUM program.
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