Now SECI tenders 1.5 GW manufacturing-linked 3 GW solar tender

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The new 3 GW tender is a trimmed version of the ill-fated 10 GW tender. Under the tender, solar power developers will earn assured Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for double the capacity of a solar manufacturing plant; i.e., a 1,000 MW PV system against 500 MW of solar manufacturing capacity. Thus, the total solar PV power plant capacity would be 3,000 MW for a manufacturing capacity of 1,500 MW.

Developers have to bid for a minimum of 1,000 MW solar plant capacity linked to 500 MW of manufacturing capacity. Bidding is allowed in sizes of 1,000 MW solar plant capacity, and no partial bids are allowed in between. For example, 1,000 MW and 2,000 MW solar plant capacities are allowed, but 1,500 MW is not. Accordingly, three solar plant projects of 1,000 MW capacities are under the bidding process. However, developers can bid for all three projects.

The successful bidders can set up an ISTS connected solar PV power plant in parallel with their manufacturing facility, which means the use of self-produced modules in solar plants is not mandatory. The manufacturing facilities shall be technology agnostic. That is, the manufacturer can use any technology for producing modules/cells.

PPAs and commissioning

SECI will enter into PPAs with the successful developers for a period of 25 years. They will be required to set up cumulative annual solar manufacturing capacity of 1.5 GW of solar cells and modules, over a maximum period of two years from the date of execution of the PPAs. The PPAs will be executed within 90 days from the date of Letter of Award.

The solar plants will be allowed staggered commissioning over a period of three years from the effective date of PPAs, with minimum 30% of the cumulative allocated capacity commissioned within the first 18 months.

Developer selection

The solar projects will be awarded through tariff-based global competitive bidding followed by an e-reverse auction. The deadline for bid submission is March 18. Bids will be opened on March 19.

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