Kalyan-Dombivli Smart City Issues Tender for 1.3 MW of Rooftop Solar Systems
The Smart Kalyan Dombivli Development Corporation Limited (SKDCL) has issued a Request for Proposal (RfP) for 1.3 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems. The solar systems will be installed on the buildings owned by the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) in Maharashtra. The projects under this tender will be installed under the RESCO model. The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation is one of the 100 smart cities launched under the government’s Smart Cities Mission. The corporation has identified 35 prospective locations for the installation of these systems. Rooftop solar systems will be installed at premises of the municipal corporation, government buildings, water treatment plants, sewerage treatment plants, recreational places, and drains of the city. The deadline for the submission of bids is January 3, 2020, while the opening date for the technical proposals is scheduled to be held on January 4, 2020. The prospective bidders are expected to pay a sum of Rs. 1 million (~$13,974) as an earnest money deposit (EMD), which will be valid for six months. According to the tender document, the bidder should have prior experience of installing and commissioning on-grid or off-grid solar projects under the CAPEX or RESCO model in the last five years. The bidder should have an average annual turnover of at least Rs. 50 million (~$698,728) from solar revenue in the previous three years. Under the central government’s Smart Cities Mission, scores of states have announced their plans to make their cities sustainable by the installation of solar panels, net metering, and various other infrastructural revamps.
Tata Power Distribution to Procure 150 MW of Solar Power at a Tariff of Rs.2.83/kWh
The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has given its approval to Tata Power Company Limited-Distribution (TPC-D) to procure 150 MW of power on a long-term basis from solar projects at a tariff of Rs. 2.83 ($0.039)/kWh. The commission has given Tata Power the permission to go ahead and enter into an energy purchase agreement with the successful bidder for a period of 25 years. The commission has added that the solar power procured from the supplier will be considered for meeting the solar renewable purchase obligation (RPO) requirements of Tata Power Distribution.
SECI Announces Two Tenders: 1.2 GW of Solar and 1.2 GW of Wind-Solar Hybrid Projects
The Solar Electricity Corporation of India has announced two tenders for 1,200 MW of solar and 1,200 MW of wind-solar hybrid projects connected to the interstate transmission system (ISTS). The projects under both the tenders will be developed on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis, and SECI will enter into a power purchase agreement for a period of 25 years based on the terms, conditions, and provision on the request for selection (RfS). The tender for 1.2 GW of solar projects has been floated under tranche VIII of the ISTS program. SECI has announced 12.2 GW of solar projects under the ISTS program’s Tranche I to VIII and auctioned around 6.44 GW in Tranche I to VI previously. The second tender for 1,200 MW of wind-solar hybrid projects has been issued under the Tranche III of the ISTS program. SECI had extended the bid submission deadline for its tender for 1.2 GW of solar-wind storage projects with a guaranteed peak power supply (ISTS-VII). The new bid submission deadline is December 16, 2019, from the previously set deadline of November 29, 2019.
LONGi to Supply 1.2 GW of Solar Modules to Adani Green by 2020
Chinese module supplier LONGi has entered into a strategic partnership with Adani Green Energy, the renewable arm of Adani Group, to supply 1.2 GW of its new generation Hi MO4 solar modules by 2020. Earlier this year, LONGi joined hands with Hexagon Peak, the project development arm of Hexagon Holdings. Under the agreement, LONGi will supply 200 MW of its latest mono PERC modules. Singapore-based Hexagon Peak will use the modules for its pipeline of utility-scale solar projects that are expected to be commissioned by Q1 of 2021.
NTPC Floats Tender for 923 MW of Solar Projects Under DCR Category
The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has invited bids to develop 923 MW of solar projects. The tender has been floated under tranche II of the second phase of the central public sector undertaking (CPSU) program, which is a part of the National Solar Mission (NSM). The last date for the submission of bids is January 3, 2020, and a pre-bid meeting will be held on December 20, 2019. The tender has been announced under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category, which mandates that domestically manufactured solar cells and modules must be used in the development of the projects.
Trina and Adani Were the Leading Solar Module Suppliers in India During 1H 2019
According to reports, in the first half of this year (1H 2019), Trina Solar, Adani, and Risen Energy emerged as the top three suppliers of solar modules in India in terms of shipments. Together, these three module suppliers accounted for nearly 25% of the market share. The top ten suppliers cumulatively held made up 60% of the overall solar module market share in 1H 2019. Trina Solar, based in the Chinese province of Jiangsu, was India’s top solar module supplier in the first half of 2019. Adani was second in terms of shipments in the first half, while Chinese manufacturer Risen Energy was third according to the report. At the end of 1H 2019, there were seven suppliers with cumulative shipments of above 2 GW to the Indian solar market. In terms of cumulative shipments, the top three suppliers were Trina Solar, Canadian Solar, and JA Solar. Last year, Znshine Solar, a Chinese PV module manufacturer, was the top module supplier to the Indian solar market in the calendar year 2018.
India To Set Up 31,696 MW Solar Power Generation Capacity
According to government reports India has set up about 31,696 MW of grid connected solar power generation capacity till October 2019. The aim of the government is to install 1,00,000 MW grid connected solar power capacity by December 2022. “As on October 31, 2019, a total grid connected solar power generation capacity of 31,696 MW has been set up in the Country, projects of 17,998 MW capacity are at various stages of installations,” said the Minister of State for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh. There are tenders of 36,278 MW capacity which have been issued and new tenders of around 15,000 MW have been planned in the remaining 2019-20 and 2020-21. According to R K Singh, majority of the solar power projects in the country are being set up with private investment. “The union government has been implementing National Solar Mission under which various Schemes (as detailed in Annexure-III) have been launched for promoting the generation and use of solar power in the country. This makes publicity for effective implementation all schemes including Solar Schemes through print, social, electronic and other media. The Ministry has also launched a Mobile App for solar rooftop systems,” quoted R K Singh.
Goa To Buy Solar Power From NTPC For Next Three Years
The cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal for extending the power purchase agreement executed with M/s NTPC Vidyut Vypar Nigam Ltd for purchase of solar power by three years. A low rate of Rs. 5.5 per unit has been negotiated as against the earlier Rs. 7.99 per unit said Power Minister Nilesh Cabral. According to the directives of the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC), it is mandatory for the electricity department to purchase a defined percentage of its power from renewable sources, including solar and non-solar. The cost to the government for the renewed contract period is Rs 20.6 crore. An official said the decision to extend the contract with NVVNL was taken since there was no response to its tender floated in March to meet the target of solar renewable purchase obligation (RPO) for 2019-20 of 187 million units (MUs) even after the last date to receive bids was extended. In the face of the target for the current financial year, and no adequate solar power available with the electricity department, the proposal was made to the government to extend the power purchase agreement with NVVNL for the balance financial year, the official said. He said the power minister had asked that the current rate for long term purchase with M/s SECI Ltd be assessed, but it expressed its inability to supply solar power on medium and short-term basis. He said they expect to purchase solar power from M/s SECI Ltd on long-term agreement once it is ready.
