Another Deadline Extension for SECI’s Solar Plus Storage Project in Ladakh

SECI has once again extended the deadline for its tender for setting up of 14 MW solar projects with 42 MWh associated BESS in Ladakh under PMDP-2015.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has once again extended the deadline for bid submissions for its tender for setting up of 14 MW solar PV power projects with 42 MWh associated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Ladakh under the Prime Minister Development Package (PMDP)-2015.

The deadline for the project has been extended to September 30, 2020, from its existing date of July 30, 2020. And the techno-commercial bids will now be opened on the new bid submission deadline.

At the back end of June, we had reported that the nodal agency had extended the deadline for the tender from June 30, 2020, to July 30, 2020. However, unlike the many other previous extensions that the agency has offered for this particular tender, even this one yielded no results.

The latest extension, however, could be forced out of the ongoing border friction between India and China around Ladakh. And could explain the reason for a longer two-month extension that has been issued.

In January last year, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) under the order of the President of India had launched the new scheme for setting up solar PV projects with aggregate battery storage capacity in Leh and Kargil.

The scope of work under the program for Jammu & Kashmir, through SECI, will include the setting up of 14 MW Solar PV Project with an aggregate battery storage capacity of 42 MWh (capacity of 7 MW solar projects with battery storage of 21 MWh each in Leh & Kargil at different locations).

The salient features of the Scheme include:

The lands for setting up the solar projects with battery storage will be facilitated by Ladakh Renewable Energy Development Agency (LREDA) and Kargil Renewable Energy Development Agency (KREDA) in their respective regions.

The scheme would be implemented by the SECI which will also act as a Project Management Consultant (PMC) for the entire project, including finalisation of DPR, selection of solar project developer, project management till project testing, commissioning and execution of the project by the project developer.

SECI will be responsible for fund management i.e. release of Viability Gap Funding (VGF) and will also monitor the performances post commissioning of the projects.