Madhya Pradesh Tenders for 225MW Solar Projects Under PM KUSUM

Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVNL) has invited bids for the selection of developers for implementation of approximately 225 MW(AC) grid-connected solar power plants connected to selected 33/11 kV substations under the PM KUSUM program at various locations in Madhya Pradesh.

The project size to be installed per substation is 500 kW to 2 MW, and the total capacity connected to a single bay in a substation shall not exceed 5 MW.

The last date to submit bids is August 31, 2021. A pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for August 8. Technical and financial bid opening will fall on the 3rd and 8th of September 2021, respectively.

The scope of work includes design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing, and commissioning including the construction of bay and related switchgear at sub-station along with comprehensive operation & maintenance for 25 years.

The project should be commissioned within nine months from the effective date of the PPA by the selected power producer.

Interested bidders are expected to pay a nonrefundable bid processing fee of Rs. 5,000. However, there is no bid security to be paid by any interested bidder. Successful bidders are required to submit a Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) of Rs.5 lakh/MW for 12 months. The PBG will be returned to the power producer immediately after successful commissioning of the solar power plant, after taking into account any penalties due to delay in commissioning.

A ceiling tariff of Rs. 3.07/unit has been decided by Madhya Pradesh Electricity Regularity Commission (MPERC) for the PPA of 25 years from the commercial operation date. Also, MPERC considered a 21% of CUF (capacity utilization factor) to arrive at ceiling tariff.

The minimum CUF of 15% is required to be achieved by the power generator on annual basis during the period of PPA, for any contract year except for the first year of operation. The procurer must not purchase any additional energy above 23% CUF on annual basis during the PPA period. However, the excess energy generated by a power generator, above 23% CUF, may be procured by the procurer at 75% of the PPA tariff, says the document.

Interested bidders could participate as an individual or group of farmers, cooperatives, panchayats, farmer producer organizations, or water user organizations setting up the project on their lands. If the concerned bidders fail to arrange the equity needed to set up the projects, they may opt to erect the project through a developer by signing a land lease agreement. In such a case, the landowner will get lease rent on mutually agreed terms and conditions between the parties.

To find themselves eligible to bid, bidders should not have a net worth less than Rs.1 crore/MW of the quoted capacity for the last financial year. While their average annual turnover of the last two financial years should be Rs. 2 crore/MW of the quoted capacity.