The Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA) has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) for the development of 500 MW solar park in the state.

The bid-submission deadline is June 7, 2018.

TEDA has received the approval of the government to set up the solar park in one or multiple locations across the state with an aggregated installed capacity of 500 MW. The solar park will have a minimum installed capacity of 50 MW and maximum installed capacity of 500 MW.

According to TEDA, the projects can be developed in either self-development or co-development mode. Under self-development mode, parties with adequate land and financial resources, experience and expertise can opt to set up a solar park of the prescribed capacity. In this model, land required for the setting up of the solar park will be identified and acquired by the solar power park developer.

Co-development mode can be utilized by individual or group of farmers, specially, small and marginal farmers, women self-help groups, farmers’ welfare associations, gram panchayats having the required land.

For developers opting for self-development mode, the scope of work includes the land acquisition for the establishment of the solar park, cleaning it, leveling it wherever necessary, developing the infrastructure and allocating the plots for individual solar projects of minimum 1 MW capacity. In such cases, the selected developer can avail the subsidy of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) through TEDA.

For developers opting for co-development mode, TEDA can explore the possibility of funding the project through its financial partner subject to due diligence and clearance. TEDA can also be a joint venture partner subject to approval by the government.

The detailed project report (DPR) must be prepared in 60 days. Thereafter, subject to the approval of MNRE, grant of up to ₹2 million (~$29,742.1)/MW or 30 percent of the project cost including the grid connectivity cost, whichever is lower, will be released by TEDA.

The central grant will be apportioned between the development of solar park and the development of external transmission system in the ratio 60:40.

This is the second year in a row that TEDA has invited EoIs for the development of solar park in the state. In March 2017, Mercom had reported that TEDA called for EoIs for the development of a 500 MW solar park in Tamil Nadu.

Moreover, in December 2017, MNRE gave its in-principle approval to the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) for the development of another 500 MW solar park in Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu.

Tamil Nadu is already one of the top solar states in India with over 1.7 GW of installed solar capacity (as of March 31, 2018), according to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker.

Image credit: Flickr