NHPC Floats Tender for 2 GW Solar PV Projects

NHPC Ltd has issued a tender for setting up of solar projects of a cumulative 2 GW capacity anywhere in India.

NHPC Ltd has issued a tender, inviting bids from eligible parties for the selection of solar power developers for setting up of grid-connected solar PV projects of a cumulative 2 GW capacity anywhere in India.

The scope of work for the elected bidders will include the design, supply, testing, installation and commissioning of the solar power projects. The developers will set up the solar plants on a Build Own Operate (BOO) basis and sign a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement with NHPC. Since the project has been issued under Open Category, developers will be allowed to import solar modules for the project. The bidders will have a period of 18 months from the date of signing of the PPA to complete the work on the projects.

The last date for bid submission is September 25, 2019, and the techno-commercial bids will be opened on September 27, 2019. A pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for September 18, 2019, to address the concerns raised by the prospective bidders. The date and time of the reverse auction and the opening of the financial bids will be intimated to the technically eligible bidders later.

The minimum project size that will be awarded under the tender will 50 MW and in multiples of 10 MW thereafter. The maximum tariff (ceiling) payable to the project developer has been fixed at Rs 2.95/ kWh for 25 years.

The bid processing fee for the tender will vary on the size of the bids submitted by the bidders, ranging from Rs 3 lake for a 50 MW bid, to Rs 30 lakh for a 500 MW or greater bid. All bidders will also have to submit an Earnest Money Deposit of Rs 5 crore along with their bids.

To be eligible, the net worth of the bidder should be equal to or greater than the value calculated at the rate of Rs 1 crore or equivalent USD per MW. And should have a minimum annual turnover of Rs 50 lakh/MW of the quoted capacity during the previous financial year 2017-18. And, the Capacity Utilisation Factor (CUF) of the solar PV projects selected through this RfS shall not be less than 19 percent.