SECI Reschedules Pre-Bid Meeting for Amended Manufacturing Linked Tender

SECI has announced that the second pre-bid meeting for its recently amended manufacturing linked solar tender has been postponed to October 21, 2019.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has announced that the second pre-bid meeting for its recently amended manufacturing linked solar tender has been postponed from October 17, 2019, to October 21, 2019.

Recently, the agency had issued amendments for its flagship tender with the key new change being the increase in the solar capacity being awarded from 6 GW to 7 GW. With that change, the new tender is seeking developers for setting up of 7 GW of ISTS-connected solar PV projects linked with 2 GW (annual) of solar manufacturing component.

The new amended RfS will also feature a higher ceiling tariff that will be payable to the project developers. Increasing the maximum tariff payable to the solar developer to Rs 2.93 from Rs 2.75/ kWh. Perhaps, as a move to invite more active participation from the industry leaders who have so far been vary of the risks involved.

Other key amendments:

• SECI will provide a “green-shoe option” to the successful bidders or developers equivalent to the capacity won by them. To avail the green-shoe option, the successful bidders need to match the lowest tariff of the respective bidding packages.
• The developers will be provided PPAs for up to 2,000 MW capacity against 500 MW of solar manufacturing component under Bidding Package-A and up to 1,500 MW against 500 MW of solar manufacturing projects under Bidding Package-B.
• The developers would be allowed to set up ISTS-connected solar projects in parallel with setting up of the manufacturing facility.
• The solar PV power projects will be allowed staggered commissioning over a period of five years under Bidding Package-A and four years under Bidding Package-B.

The amendments to the tender have been made following the first pre-bid meeting that was recently conducted by SECI on October 10, 2019.

The last date for bid submission on the tender remains October 31, 2019.