A tender for feeder solarization and development of 113.2 MW grid-connected solar projects using the RESCO model has been released by the Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam (JVVNL) as part of the PM-KUSUM (Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyaan) program.
The project will likely cost Rs. 35 million/MW. JVVNL plans to deploy 43 solar projects, each with a different capacity, over 139 11kV feeders.
Bids must be submitted by February 13, 2023, which will be opened on February 15.
The winning bidders must provide a performance bank guarantee (PBG) in the amount of Rs. 500,000/MW, in addition to the earnest money deposit (EMD) of Rs. 700,000/MW, which is required of all the bidders.
Within 7 days of the PBG’s submission, the winning bidder and Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (RUVNL) must execute a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a 25-year duration at the levelized tariff established by the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission (RERC).
After the PPA is signed, the projects must be commissioned within 9 months.
The bidder will also be required to supply a remote monitoring system and to operate and maintain the projects for a period of 25 years.
The winning bidder must guarantee a Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) of at least 17%, and they must employ modules and manufacturers from the most recent Approved List of Models And Manufacturers (ALMM).
For projects up to 2.55 MW, the developers must link the projects to an 11 kV substation, and for projects beyond 2.55 MW, they must connect the facilities to 33 kV substations.
According to MNRE’s program standards, the winning bidder will be qualified for central financing assistance (CFA) at 30% of the anticipated installation cost, which is Rs. 10.5 million/MW.
The bidder may be a joint venture (JV) with up to two members or a sole entity. Participants can bid for one or more of the solar projects that are detailed in the bid document.
For either people or businesses, the bidder must have generated an average yearly turnover during the previous 3 fiscal years of at least Rs. 10.5 million.
An undertaking verifying ownership of assets, both mobile and immovable, worth at least 20%, or Rs. 7 million of the entire cost of the quoted capacity by the bidder, must be presented by landowners, farmers, or anyone else with/without the requisite land for the project.
A second commitment is that sufficient financial connections with banks and other financial institutions must be made in order to build up the quoted capacity.
