Maha Discom Seeks Bids for 500MW Solar Plants Under KUSUM Scheme

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd. (MSEDCL) has released a Request for Selection (RfS), inviting bids for the procurement of cumulative 500MW (AC) solar power from decentralised solar projects under Component-C of PM KUSUM scheme to be developed in the state through RESCO mode. The pre-bid conference will be held online on January 6, 2022, at www.mahadiscom.in. The deadline to respond to the RfS is January 24, 2022, till 4 pm.

MSEDCL has decided to carry out an online Competitive Bidding Process (followed by e- reverse auction if applicable). The discom will enter into Power Purchase Agreement(s) (PPA) with the selected bidders for a period of 25 years from the Commercial Operation Date of the solar power projects.

The tender document defines the full scope of the project as follows: “The Solar Power Generator shall be responsible for design, finance, procurement of land, engineering, procurement, construction, operation and maintenance of the Project(s) and metering of solar power plant and agriculture consumers along with Remote Monitoring System (RMS) of solar power plant and agriculture consumers in accordance with the provisions of the RfS & PPA to be entered into between the Solar Power Generator and MSEDCL.”

Other important details are as follows:

• Ceiling Tariff: Rs. 2.30/- per unit
• Cost of RfS Document (non-refundable): Rs. 15000 + 18% GST to be paid online.
• Processing Fee (non-refundable): Rs. 10,000 per MW + 18% GST to be paid online.
• EMD (Earnest Money Deposit): Rs. 1 Lakh / MW is to be submitted in the form of Bank Guarantee along with response to RfS.
• PBG (Performance Bank Guarantee): Rs. 5 Lakh/MW, 2 days prior to signing the PPA, with a validity period of 11 months from the date of PPA.
• The selection of the projects would be technology-agnostic within PV technology and crystalline silicon or thin film, etc. (with or without trackers)
• It is mandatory to use indigenously manufactured solar panels with indigenous solar cells and modules listed under the ALMM list (Approved Models and Manufacturers of Solar PV Modules).

In order to submit bids for this solar tender, applicants must fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

1. The net-worth of the bidder for the financial year ended on 31.03.2020 must not be less than INR 1.0 Crores per MW (of the capacity quoted). In case of foreign companies, the applicable financial year will be as per the applicable laws of the country of Incorporation.
2. Liquidity:

• A minimum annual turnover of Rs. 25 lakhs/MW of the quoted capacity during the previous financial year 2019-2020.
• Internal resource generation capability, in the form of Profit Before Depreciation Interest and Taxes (PBDIT) for a minimum amount of Rs. 10 Lakhs/MW of the quoted capacity, as on the last date of previous financial year, 2019-2020.
  In-principle sanction letter from the lending institutions/banks of the bidder, committing a Line of Credit for a minimum amount of Rs. 12.5 Lakhs/MW of the quoted capacity, towards meeting the working capital requirement of the present project.
• The project should be designed for delivery of energy at 11 / 22 kV level of substation of MSEDCL. The List of the Sub-stations along with agriculture consumers data shall be published by MSEDCL.

Bids for this solar tender are to be submitted electronically through https://www.mahadiscom.in/solar-mskvy/index.html at the e-tendering portal of mahadiscom and other modes of bid submission shall not be accepted, instructs MSEDCL.