GESCOM Seeks Bids to Empanel Agencies for 10 MW Solar Project

Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Limited (GESCOM) has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) for the empanelment of agencies for a 10 MW rooftop solar project in Karnataka. Interestingly, this is the second effort by the discom to  empanel firms, after a previous effort in March earlier this year seems to have failed.

The scope of the project includes the design, supply, installation & commissioning of solar RTPV grid-connected power plants aggregating 10 MW on the rooftops of residential buildings & group housing societies (GHS)/residential welfare associations (RWA) located in urban and rural areas in the jurisdiction of GESCOM.

GESCOM covers 7 districts — Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Ballari & Vijayanagara — under Net Metering scheme, including an Annual Maintenance Contract for a period of 5 years under “SOURA GRUHA YOJANE (SGY)” for FY 2021-22.

Important details for the submission of the EoI are given below:

The bidder can view/download the tender documents consisting of the tender notice, invitation to bidders, scope of work, bidding documents, general terms and conditions of contract, erection conditions of contract, annexure and technical specification from the website http://eproc.karnataka.gov.in.

In March this year, Karnataka Renewable Energy Development Limited (KREDL) released the “Karnataka Renewable Energy Policy 2021-26” draft to strengthen the renewable energy markets in the state.

As Karnataka is one of the leading states in the RE sector in the country and has a generation capacity of about 15,037 MW, the KREDL has drafted the policy with an aim to facilitate 20 GW of green projects in the state.

The policy has been drafted with its main objectives:

• To facilitate the development of 20 GW of RE projects with or without energy storage systems in the state, including 2 GW of rooftop solar PV projects. The policy aims to achieve the RPO (renewable purchase obligations targets as specified by Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC).
• The policy caters to the development of Renewable Energy Parks including hybrid parks in the state, the development of wind-solar hybrid projects, and the development of floating solar including hybridization of floating solar with existing hydro stations.