Projects and Tenders

SECI 750 MW Tranche X Wind Auctions- Adani Bids Rs 2.77 to win, Ayana at Rs 2.78

Life returned to the Wind Energy pipeline with the first pure wind energy auction by SECI in over 18 months. With a reserve price of Rs 2.99, Adani Renewable Energy walked away with a 300 MW allocation at Rs 2.77/ kWh, while Ayana Renewable Power won 300 MW at Rs 2.78. Evergreen Power ventures Mauritius won 100 MW by quoting Rs 2.78 too. It is worth noting that not a single substantial wind energy auction was concluded all through 2020, even as solar bidding continued.

Interestingly JSW Energy (Rs 2.78 for 600 MW), Azure Power and O2 Power all bid at Rs 2.80 or under, indicating the demand that exists at a price under Rs 2.80, widely considered the optimum price for Wind Energy bidding in ost parts of India.

The bids in this auction are considerably lower than those in Tranche IX, when JSW Solar had won with a bid of Rs 3.01 per unit for 1,000-Mw, Vena Energy Vidhyut (160-Mw) at Rs 3.17 per unit tariff and Inox Wind Infrastructure with 50-Mw at Rs 3.41 per unit bid. The results will come as a relief to wind energy operators, where the overall situation has been dull to dire, depending on who you speak to. Manufacturers have made multiple demands, from including it in the PLI scheme to a special subsidy to allow and accept price bidding that is a little higher than solar, where rates have fallen much faster in recent years.

Due to a far longer lean period, wind energy operators have also felt the pain of common issues, be it delay in payments from discoms, or disruptions from the Covid 19 lockdowns, far more keenly.

SECI Issues Deadline Extensions for 2 Solar Tenders in Tamil Nadu and Himachal

SECI has extended the bid deadline for tenders for 50 MW solar PV project in Tamil Nadu and 15 MW floating solar plant in Himachal. The first is the extension in the deadline for its tender seeking bidders for commissioning of 50 MW (AC) solar PV project with land having 10 years plant O&M at Tamil Nadu. And the second tender, for which SECI has now issued the ninth extension, is the call for bids for developing a 15 MW grid-connected floating solar PV power plant at the Nangal Pond in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh.

For its tender for 50 MW solar projects in Tamil Nadu, SECI has extended the bid submission deadline from March 15, 2021, to April 5, 2021, and the technical bids will be opened on the new bid closing date. The date and time of opening of the price bids will be intimated to the shortlisted bidders from the technical round.

The tender was issued in the first week of January, with SECI seeking developers for the execution of green energy technologies by way of implementing a ground-based solar plant of 40 MW capacity with a 10 MW Agro PV system in the southern state.

The second tender for the selection of a project developer for setting up of 15 MW grid-connected floating solar PV power plant in Himachal Pradesh has seen its deadline extended from March 15, 2021, for online bid submissions to April 30, 2021. And from March 17, 2021, for offline bid submissions to May 4, 2021. The technocommercial bids will now be opened on May 5, 2021.

The tender for the floating solar project was first issued in July 2020 and SECI had conducted an online virtual pre-bid meeting for the tender on July 17, 2020.

The project will be developed on a BuildOwn-Operate (BOO) basis and power generated by SPD from the above project has been provisioned to be sold to the Buying Entity, i.e. Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB). BBMB will enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the successful Bidder selected by SECI based on this RfS for the purchase of floating solar power for a period of 25 years. As per the Request for Selection (RfS), the maximum levelised tariff payable to the Project Developer is fixed at Rs 3.41/ kWh for 25 years.

NCRTC Tenders for 11 MW Rooftop Solar Systems on Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor

NCRTC has tendered for 11 MW rooftop solar projects on RESCO Model along its Delhi-GhaziabadMeerut RRTS Corridor. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation Ltd. (NCRTC), a joint venture company of the Government of India and participating states (NCT of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh), which is mandated for implementing the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) project across the National Capital Region (NCR), has issued a tender for the commissioning of 11 MW rooftop solar PV projects and associated support structure works on RESCO Model on stations, depots and other buildings along the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor of NCRTC.

The scope of work for the selected bidders will include the design, engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of the rooftop solar systems on RESCO mode. The developers will have a period of 4 years to complete the work on the project. The developers will also be required to provide comprehensive Operation & Maintenance services for the rooftop systems for a period of 25 years from the date of successful commissioning. It has been clarified that the net metering and grid connectivity of the rooftop solar PV system under this scheme would be the responsibility of the Bidder in accordance with the prevailing guidelines of the NCRTC and/or CEA or State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) or Discom in the respective area. NCRTC could facilitate connectivity, however, the entire responsibility lies with the bidder only. To be eligible for participating in the bidding process, the bidders' net worth for the last financial year should be positive, and their minimum average annual turnover should be at least Rs 19.8 crore. Furthermore, the bidder should have completed during the last 10 years the work of commissioning of gridconnected solar PV project of at least 10 MWp cumulative having provision of comprehensive operation and maintenance under RESCO Model which is under successful operation for at least the last 3 years. For rooftop solar, the bidder must have a similar experience for at least 1 MW capacity.

The last date for bid submission is April 8, 2021, and the techno-commercial bids will be opened on the following date i.e April 9, 2021. A pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for March 18, 2021, to address the concerns raised by the prospective bidders.

Inox Wind Bags Wind Project Orders Worth 92 MW From Integrum Energy

Inox Wind has signed a binding agreement with Integrum Energy to supply, erect and commission 92 MW of wind power projects.

Inox Wind, a leading domestic wind energy solutions provider, has announced that it has signed a binding agreement with Integrum Energy Infrastructure Private Limited to supply, erect and commission 92 MW of wind power projects comprising of 2 MW (113 metre rotor diameter turbine combined with 92 metre hub height) turbines with a combination of total turnkey and limited scope supply.

Under the agreement, Inox has been roped in to supply, erect and commission the turbines at various locations in the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra & Tamil Nadu by Q3 of FY 2022 for captive customers.

The agreement also includes a turnkey order of 26 MW for which Inox Wind will provide Integrum Energy with end-toend solutions from development and construction to commissioning and providing long-term operations and maintenance services.

The firm stated that this is a repeat order from Integrum Energy within a short period of 3 months which consisted of a 20 MW of turnkey wind project in Karnataka.

In February, we had reported that the firm had received orders for the supply and installation of wind turbine generators of 62 MW capacity from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and retail customers spread across various industries for thirdparty sales and captive consumption. The projects will be executed on a turnkey basis across locations in Gujarat and Karnataka.

The contracts include supply and commissioning of 2 MW DFIG 113 meters rotor diameter Wind Turbine Generators (WTGs) as well as providing comprehensive operations and maintenance services for the lifetime of the project.

Prior to that, the firm had issued its financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, reporting a higher revenue from the previous quarter and from the same quarter in 2019, however, the firms’ net loss also widened to Rs 51.97 crore from Rs 27.47 crore during the same quarter last year. According to a corporate filing, the firms’ total income rose to Rs 209.44 crore in the quarter ended December 2020 from Rs 179.76 crore a year ago. With revenue at Rs Rs 204 crore in Q3FY21 against revenue of Rs 171 crore in Q2FY21.

Rs 30,000 Crore Solar, Wind Plus Pump Storage Project to Come up in Rajasthan

Aleader in renewable energy potential and uptake, the state of Rajasthan is all set to develop a new Rs 30,000 crore hybrid clean energy project that will enable the solar and wind energy rich state to store excess energy generated by clean energy sources. The state government has been advancing to establish the first of its kind Hybrid Project that will have solar, wind to generate clean and green energy and pump hydro storage project to store the energy.

The state has been promoting power storage solutions under the Rajasthan Solar Energy Policy 2019. And the Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL) has received several proposals for energy storage projects following the policy incentives.

The corporation has accepted the proposal made by Greenko to develop the hybrid project which will consist of a 3600 MW solar project(s) and 900 MW wind asset which will be paired with a 2520 MW Pump Hydro Storage Plant. The solar and wind projects will be set up in Pali and Jaisalmer; and Pump Hydro Storage will be set up in Shahpur, Baran District of the state.

The total cost of the project as per RRECL is Rs 30,000 crore, of which the pumped hydro storage project will be constructed at the cost of Rs 11,882 Crore.

Dr. Subodh Agarwal (IAS), CMD of RRECL said, “among the projects seeking the policy advantage is a hydropower-based storage project proposed to be developed in Baran district of the state. The excess solargenerated electricity will be used to pump water in a reservoir at a designated height. The potential energy of the water will be reclaimed using turbine-driven generators. It will be the first of its kind integrated project in the country with a combination of solar, wind and hydropower for uninterrupted power supply.”

The storage facility will be a Standalone pumped storage project of 2520 MW. It will use 1.7 TMC of water but will not be consuming water as the same will be cycled between the top and bottom reservoirs. Even as the storage facility is fractional of the production capacity, it brings a new dawn to the solar energy sector.

The stored energy can help bridge over the intermittency of the electricity supply capacity from solar power and wind power farms which can vary with the varying weather conditions. The storage unit will help as a backup and help in ensuring incessant supply. Also as and when required, the stored units can compensate for low electricity production in evening hours.

Anil Chalamalasetty, Founder, MD & CEO of Greenko Group said, “the firm is thankful to the Government of Rajasthan for recognising the importance and potential of Pumped Storage solutions and the numerous benefits they would bring to the state besides offering lowest cost energy storage solutions compared numerous technologies globally available today. The Project when completed by 2023-24 would be “World’s Largest Renewable Energy Asset” and strengthen and contribute immensely to Rajasthan’s efforts as a model state in the adoption of solutions for a sustainable future.”

Further adding that “GreenKo’s vision for a sustainable Indian energy future is based on Integrated Renewable Energy Storage Projects (IRESPs) that combine Wind Energy, Solar Energy, Pumped Storage capacity with Intelligent Energy Platforms deployed as a sharing platform to transform the renewables into a firm, schedulable and dispatchable new energy thus paving the way for achieving energy security for Rajasthan and India. The IRESPs will ensure achieving long-term stability and reduction of electricity prices by ~20 percent nationally while enabling grid stability, security and feasibility for a future of deep decarbonisation of the Indian energy sector.”

Notably, the Rajasthan Government has set the target of 30,000 MW solar power projects upto 2024-25. The generated power will be used by Discoms or other entities to meet their demand and for the fulfilment of the Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) as determined by RERC under the solar policy. The state also aims to develop solar power projects for the sale of power to parties other than Discoms of Rajasthan and for captive consumption, within and outside the state.

SECI Issues RfS for its 1785 MW Solar Tender in Rajasthan (Tranche - IV)

SECI has issued the RfS document for the selection of SPDs for setting up 1785 MW solar PV projects in Rajasthan (Tranche-IV).

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has now issued the Request for Selection (RfS) document for the selection of Solar Power Developers (SPDs) for setting up 1785 MW grid-connected solar PV power projects in Rajasthan (Tranche-IV).

Earlier in February, SECI had notified that it wishes to invite proposals for setting up grid-connected solar PV projects in the state of Rajasthan on a “Build Own Operate” (B-O-O) basis for an aggregate capacity of 1785 MW.

SECI shall enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the successful bidder selected based on this RfS for purchase of solar power for a period of 25 years based on the terms, conditions, and provisions of the RfS.

The SPD shall set up the solar PV project including a dedicated transmission network up to the interconnection/ delivery point, at its own cost and in accordance with the provisions of this RfS document. All approvals, permits, and clearances required for setting up of the project and/ or dedicated transmission network upto interconnection/ delivery point (including connectivity and LTA, as applicable) including those required from state government and local bodies shall be in the scope of the SPD. The developers will have a period of 18 months to complete the work on the project.

The last date for bid submission is April 19, 2021, (April 15, 2021 - for online submission) and the bids will be opened on April 20, 2021. A pre-bid meeting has been scheduled for March 19, 2021, to address the concerns raised by the prospective bidders.

Power procured by SECI from the above Project has been provisioned to be sold to the Discoms of Rajasthan, which shall be the Buying Entities under this RfS. The Buying Entities shall procure power under the RfS through Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (RUVNL), which is the authorised representative for signing the Power Sale Agreement, on behalf of the Rajasthan Discoms. SECI shall be an intermediary nodal agency for procurement of power generated by the SPD and sale of such power to the Discoms of Rajasthan, entirely on a back-to-back basis based on due performance by the SPD as well as the Buying Entities.

It has been specified that the projects selected under this RfS shall be of minimum individual capacities of 10 MW and shall be set up in integral values. The maximum capacity shall be 1785 MW.

To be eligible, the bidder must have a minimum annual turnover of Rs 41.4 lakh per MW of the quoted capacity during the last financial year. And their net worth should be at least Rs 80 lakh/ MW of the bid amount as on the last date of the last financial year.

SECI Reschedules Pre-bid Meeting for its 1785 MW Rajasthan Solar Tender

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has notified that it has rescheduled the pre-bid meeting for its tender for the selection of Solar Power Developers (SPDs) for setting up 1785 MW grid-connected solar PV power projects in Rajasthan (Tranche-IV).

The pre-bid meeting has been moved from March 19, 2021, to March 22, 2021, and will be held online via video conferencing. The last date for bid submission for the tender remains the same for now, with bids expected latest by April 19, 2021, (April 15, 2021 – for online submission).

Earlier this month, SECI had issued the Request for Selection (RfS) document for the tender. After initially notifying in early February that it wishes to invite proposals for setting up gridconnected solar PV projects in the state of Rajasthan on a “Build Own Operate” (B-O-O) basis for an aggregate capacity of 1785 MW.

SECI will enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the successful bidder selected based on this RfS for purchase of solar power for a period of 25 years based on the terms, conditions, and provisions of the RfS.

The SPD shall set up the solar PV project including a dedicated transmission network to the interconnection/ delivery point, at its own cost. All approvals, permits, and clearances required for setting up of the project and/ or dedicated transmission network upto interconnection/ delivery point (including connectivity and LTA, as applicable) including those required from state government and local bodies shall be in the scope of the SPD. The developers will have a period of 18 months to complete the work on the project.

Power procured by SECI from the above Project has been provisioned to be sold to the Discoms of Rajasthan, which shall be the Buying Entities under this RfS. The Buying Entities shall procure power under the RfS through Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (RUVNL), which is the authorised representative for signing the Power Sale Agreement, on behalf of the Rajasthan Discoms. SECI shall be an intermediary nodal agency for procurement of power generated by the SPD and sale of such power to the Discoms of Rajasthan, entirely on a back-to-back basis based on due performance by the SPD as well as the Buying Entities.

It has been specified that the projects selected under this RfS shall be of minimum individual capacities of 10 MW and shall be set up in integral values. The maximum capacity shall be 1785 MW.