The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited bids for a peak supply of 1.5 GWh (500 MW x 3 hours) from interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected renewable energy projects across India under the Contract for Difference (CfD) mechanism.

Recently, MNRE approved the pilot CfD program for renewable energy, with SECI designated as the nodal agency.

The scope of work includes setting up ISTS-connected renewable power projects with energy storage systems, and the transmission network up to the interconnection point, with the primary objective of selling electricity from such projects on power exchanges at its own cost.

It also includes land identification, installation, and ownership of the projects, obtaining connectivity and necessary approvals, and interconnection with the ISTS network for the supply of power through power exchanges.

The last date to submit bids is May 22, 2026. Bids will be opened on May 28.

SECI has set a ceiling tariff of ₹6.10 (~$0.066)/kWh.

Successful bidders must submit a performance bank guarantee for a value determined as per the following formula:

Performance Bank Guarantee = [₹2.42 million (~$26,124) x Rated Installed Capacity of Solar component (MW) + ₹3.42 million (~$36,919) x Rated cumulative Installed Capacity of Wind component and other RE generating sources (MW) + ₹600,000 (~$6,477) x Rated cumulative Installed Capacity of the ESS component (MWh)].

Successful bidders will have to pay success charges of ₹100,000 (~$1,079) toward administrative overheads, project monitoring activities, and settlement of CfD.

Bidders must submit a single bid offering a minimum cumulative contracted capacity of 50 MW and a maximum of 125 MW.

The project must be completed within 12 months of the contract award.

Responsibility for obtaining ISTS connectivity for non-solar hours will be entirely the developer’s, in line with applicable regulations.

Successful bidders must promote only commercially established and operational technologies to minimize the technology risk and to achieve the timely commissioning of the projects.

Bidders quoting for X MW capacity must fulfill any of the following criteria:

• Bidders should have successfully commissioned, as a project owner or as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor, a contracted capacity of not less than ‘4X/5’ MW in the last seven years.
• They should have successfully commissioned two generating stations or generating systems or power projects of contracted capacity not less than ‘X/2’ MW each in the last seven years.
• They should have successfully commissioned three generating stations or generating systems or power projects of contracted capacity not less than ‘2X/5’ MW each in the last seven years.

The net worth of bidders should be equal to or greater than the amount calculated as per the following formula:

Minimum Net Worth Requirement = [(₹9.68 million (~$104,498) x Rated Installed Capacity of Solar PV component (MW)) + (₹13.6 million (~$146.815) x Rated Installed Capacity of Wind Power component and other RE sources (MW)) + (₹2.4 million (~$25,908) x Rated Installed Capacity of ESS component (MWh))]

Bidders must satisfy any one of the following criteria:

• Bidders must have a minimum annual turnover of ₹6.684 million (~$72,155)/ MW of the quoted contracted capacity during the previous financial year.
• They should have an internal resource generation capability, in the form of Profit Before Depreciation Interest and Taxes, excluding other and exceptional income, for a minimum amount of ₹1.336 million (~$14,422)/MW, as on the last date of the previous financial year.
• They should have an in-principle sanction letter from the lending institutions or banks, committing a Line of Credit for a minimum amount of ₹1.671 million (~$18.038)/MW of the quoted contracted capacity, towards meeting the working capital requirement of the project.

Developers should supply power such that 100% of the annual energy offered is renewable. The developer can, however, source up to 25% of renewable power annually from green market sources or through bilateral agreements to meet the supply conditions.

In case of any weekly shortfall in supply of power through power exchanges during the peak hours as chosen by the developer, from the mandated supply of energy, the developer will have to pay a penalty calculated at 1.5 times of the difference between the highest of the market clearance price in Day-Ahead Market, Green Day-Ahead Market, or Real-Time Market of all the power exchanges during the non-solar hours, across all days of the week, and strike price, corresponding to the shortfall in energy.

Earlier, SECI invited bids for the supply of 80 MW of firm power on a short-term basis under open access.

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