The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has retendered 750 MW of solar at the Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka. This is an Open category tender and the bid-submission deadline is May 18, 2017.

The entire capacity of 750 MW comprises of six 125 MW projects. The scope of work includes, design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation and commissioning of the utility scale projects.

The NTPC has instructed that developers will provide comprehensive operation and maintenance of the project and transmission system for a period of five years from the date of successful completion of trial run.

The capacity was initially tendered in February 2016, stated a NTPC official. Previously, the tender had been extended due to infrastructure insufficiency and lack of availability of evacuation. Now, substations are under construction and evacuation issues have been solved leading to retendering, added the NTPC official.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, a total of 1,000 MW was tendered by NTPC at Pavagada, 750 MW in the Open category and 250 MW in the Domestic Content Requirement (DCR) category.

When asked whether NTPC will follow in Solar Energy Corporation of India’s footsteps and scrap DCR at Pavagada, the NTPC official commented, currently the 250 MW under DCR will be extended by another two to three months. If we don’t find takers, we will retender the capacity under DCR category.

With the recent commissioning of 45 MW at Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan, NTPC reached a milestone of 500 MW of solar installations in India.

Sampath has been part of the Mercom India research and news team since the company’s inception. He currently oversees all data and research relating to news published on the MercomIndia.com platform. Sampath received his Bachelor’s of Commerce Degree from Kuvempu University and Post Graduate Diploma in Management, from Indira Gandhi National Open University. More articles from Sampath Krishna.