The Solar Energy Corporation of India issued a tender to select solar power developers for setting up 1 GW inter-state transmission system-connected solar projects (Tranche XII) in India. The last date to submit the bids is November 20, 2023. Bids will be opened on November 23. The bidders must submit an amount of ₹928,000 (~$11,147) per MW of the quoted capacity as an earnest money deposit. Bidders must also submit a bid processing fee worth ₹500,000 (~$6,006) plus 18% GST for each project from 50 MW up to 90 MW and ₹1.5 million (~$18,018) plus 18% GST for projects with capacity from 100 MW and above.

Military Engineer Services  (MES) has floated a tender for the installation of a 1 MW rooftop solar power project at the Air Force Station, Sulur, Tamil Nadu. The last date for the submission of bids is November 11, 2023. Bids will be opened on November 13. Contractors who have not previously provided a standing security bond or deposit in any MES formation must submit an individual security deposit when their tender is accepted. This deposit will be determined based on the tendered cost, following the MES’s guidelines for calculating Earnest Money Deposit with a 25% increase, capped at a maximum of ₹1.8 million (~$22,519).

Reeling under an acute power shortage of up to 2,000 MW a day, Karnataka has been monitoring power demand and availability on an hourly basis and preparing to buy power in the market on the projections of the Karnataka State Load Despatch Center. The government has also decided to procure 1,300 to 1,500 MW of power on a short-term basis with the approval of the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission and bids will be issued soon, according to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Power swapping arrangements of 300 MW and 600 MW are also being finalized with Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively until May 2024. Karnataka will return power to the two states from June next year.

The U.S. Department of Energy announced an investment of $7 billion in the creation of seven regional clean hydrogen hubs (H2Hubs) to accelerate the deployment of low-cost, clean hydrogen. The seven H2Hubs will collectively produce three million metric tons of hydrogen annually and are expected to contribute significantly to the 2030 U.S. production target and reduce emissions from carbon-intensive industries. The investment is part of the broader effort to stimulate American manufacturing and job creation, made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Solar manufacturer Renaissance Solar and Electronic Materials announced it would set up a 5 GW silicon crystal and wafer manufacturing facility in India with an investment of $300 million. The location for the manufacturing facility has not been finalized yet. The project will be commissioned by the end of 2025. For the upcoming five years, the company’s focus will revolve around crystal growth and wafer manufacturing activities within India. Tags: SECI, MES, DOE, Karnataka, Green hydrogen