Tender For 100 MW Floating Solar Hybrid On Mumbai’s Middle Vaitarna Dam

Mumbai’s Middle Vaitarna dam, whose reservoir is  is one of the seven key lakes that supply drinking water to the city, could soon be supplying power too, to the city. The Municipal corporation of Greater Mumbai has floated a tender for the establishment of a Hybrid floating solar PV plant on the lake, of 100MW capacity. The plan is to have a Hydro electric and floating solar plant together, with the floating solar contributing 80 MW of the 100 MW capacity. At the size, this could easily be the largest floating solar plant in Maharashtra, when made. As of now, plans are on the drawing board for over 2GW of floating solar capacity in India.

The tender, with a contract period of 31 months for construction including the monsoons, followed by a 25 year O&M period is a comprehensive design, build, and operate mandate.

For bidders, the first hurdle is a net worth criteria of Rs 472 crores. Technical criteria includes three similar completed works of 32 MW capacity, or two of 40 MW capacity, or one with 64 Mw capacity. On any solar project, not floating solar.

The criteria for the hydro electric project is even more intriguing, with a specific requirement of running a small hydro electric project in Maharashtra with at least 10 MW capacity, that should have been in operation for at least 10 years with a minimum plant load factor of 50 percent. It should also have generated 67 MU (Million units ) of power in at least one of the 10 years.

The earnest money deposit requirement is Rs 47 lakhs, and Rs 4.25 crores of bank guarantees.

The last date for submitting bids is December 12,  with a ceiling tariff of Rs 4.48 /kWh.

It must be added here that so far, India’s experience with floating solar plants has not exactly been good, with most such bids delayed due to various reasons. Some of the very specific conditions of this tender (available at mahatenders.gov.in) also don’t inspire too much confidence. But we would love to be proven wrong of course. So watch out for December 18, when the e-reverse auction should be over and winners announced.