The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has extended the last date submit bids for 4 MW of grid-connected floating solar power projects with 2 MW of battery energy storage systems (BESS). The projects will be developed at Kalpong Dam, Diglipur, North Andaman. The new deadline is May 4, 2020.

SECI also added that the techno-commercial bid opening would be carried out starting May 7, 2020. It had initially been issued the request for selection (RfS) documents for these projects in January, with the bid submission deadline on February 13, 2020.

The scope of work includes the design, engineering, manufacture, dispatch, transportation, and storage of all equipment and materials such as the adequate capacity of solar PV modules with suitable ratings. The solar modules must qualify for the latest edition of the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) qualification test or an equivalent by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards.

Interested bidders are expected to pay ₹5.4 million (₹71,194). The projects will be developed on a build-operate-own (BOO) basis. SECI also set the maximum tariff payable to the developer at ₹8 (0.105)/kWh for 25 years, inclusive of all statutory taxes, duties, levies, and cess applicable currently.

SECI also stated that the project should achieve financial closure within a year from the effective date of the power purchase agreement (PPA). The timeline for the scheduled commissioning of the project is 18 months. In case of a delay in commissioning beyond 24 months, the total performance bank guarantee will be encashed by the agency.

Under the RfS, SECI had proposed to promote only commercially established, and operational technologies to minimize the technology risk and to achieve the timely commissioning of the project and expects the successful bidder to confirm the selection of technology at the time of financial closure.

Recently, Mercom reported that the Solar Energy Corporation of India invited bids for 15 MW of floating solar projects at Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) in the state of Telangana. The projects will be implemented at two different sites – a 10 MW project at the STPP storage reservoir, and a 5 MW system at the Dorli site on the SCCL premises.

Earlier, the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEB) approved 50 MW of floating solar power projects at Kollam district under the Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks (UMREPP) program of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). It has also agreed to take up 72 MW of wind power projects in Palakkad district by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

In the recent past, there have been several tender announcements for floating solar projects across states and union territories. According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, over 400 MW of floating solar projects are currently under the development pipeline across India.

Image credit: BayWa r.e.