Assam Power Distribution Company (APDCL) has issued a tender to procure power from 100 MW of grid-connected floating solar projects to be developed on different water bodies across the state on a build-own-operate basis for a period of 25 years.

The last day to submit the bids is December 7, 2022. The bids will be opened on December 9.

Bidders can apply for a minimum capacity of 5 MW and a maximum of 100 MW. The quoted tariff must be less than ₹4.76 (~$0.059)/kWh. The projects must be commissioned within 18 months of executing the PPA.

Developers must identify and get clearance for the project site. They should obtain the lease agreement within twelve months of executing the power purchase agreement (PPA).

Bidders must pay ₹29,500 (~$363) for the bidding documents. They must also submit an earnest money deposit of ₹1.16 million (~$14,278)/MW of quoted capacity. Successful bidders will have to remit performance security of ₹2.9 million (~$35,695)/MW of allocated capacity.

To be eligible, bidders should have commissioned or supervised the commissioning of grid-connected floating solar projects of 20 MW capacity during the last five years. At least one of the projects should be 5 MW or above.

The net worth of the bidders should not be less than ₹11.63 million (~$143,152)/MW of quoted capacity. They must have a turnover of ₹17.45 million (~$214,790)/MW and an internal resource generation capability, in the form of profit before depreciation interest and taxes, of at least ₹7.55 million (~$92,932)/MW and an in-principle sanction letter for a line of credit of at least ₹1.7 million (~$20,925)/MW.

Developers can achieve part commissioning if they commission a threshold capacity of 25 MW. It can achieve further part commissioning in minimum steps of 5 MW until the total capacity is reached.

If the commissioning is delayed up to a month, 20% of the performance security will be encashed as liquidated damages, and for a delay of up to three months, 40% will be encashed. If the commissioning is delayed beyond three months, the tariff discovered after the reverse auction will be reduced at the rate of ₹0.0015 (~$0.000018)/kWh per day delay in commissioning.

The declared capacity utilization factor (CUF) must be at least 19%. Developers must maintain generation to achieve CUF in the range of ±10 % of their declared value for 25 years from the date of commissioning.

APDCL is also invited bids to procure 50 MW of power from grid-connected solar power projects to be developed on a build-own-operate basis in the state.

Earlier, Assam Power Generation Corporation had invited bids from consultancy firms to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to develop a 70-90 MW floating solar project in the Karimganj district.

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