The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has issued an e-tender and invited bids to procure 1,300 MW solar power from projects to be connected at distribution network (11/22 kV) in 29 districts in Maharashtra under “Mukhyamantri Saur Krishi Vahini Yojana”.
The last date to submit the bids is May 17, 2021 whereas the pre-bid meeting will take place on April 30, 2021. MSEDCL has set a ceiling tariff of ₹3.05 (~$0.041)/kWh for these projects.
An earnest deposit amount has been fixed at ₹100,000 (~$1,332)/MW. The successful bidder will have to submit a performance bank guarantee of ₹500,000 (~$6,663)/MW within 30 days from the issuance of the letter of award. MSEDCL will enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the bidders selected to purchase solar power for 25 years from the commercial operation date.
The selected solar power generator will enter into PPA with MSEDCL. It will be responsible for the design, finance, procurement of land, engineering, procurement, construction, operation, and maintenance of the projects. The minimum individual project capacity to be developed per district will be 2 MW, and the maximum individual project capacity will be 10 MW. The district-wise cumulative capacity to be installed is 50 MW/25 MW. But the selection of bidders beyond the aggregate bid capacity up to a maximum of 100 MW per district may be carried out depending on the tariff discovered in the bidding process.
Foreign companies are also allowed to participate in this tender. However, they should be registered as companies as per the rules of their country of origin.
Also, as of the last financial year, the bidder’s net worth should not be less than ₹5.5 million (~$73,297)/MW of the quoted capacity. The bidder’s minimum annual turnover should be ₹2.5 million (~$33,316)/MW of the quoted capacity during the last financial year. In the form of profit before depreciation, interest, and taxes, the internal resource generation capability should be at least ₹1 million (~$13,326)/MW of the quoted capacity as of the last date of the previous financial year. The bidder must also have the approval letter from the lending institution committing a line of credit for a minimum amount of ₹1.25 million (~$16,658)/MW of the quoted capacity toward meeting the working capital requirement of the project.
It would be the bidder’s responsibility for the transmission of power up to the interconnection point and energy accounting infrastructure. The declared capacity utilization factor should not be less than 19% over a year.
