India’s Rajasthan state is calling for bids to set up 200MW of solar projects after mothballing the programme for almost a year.
According to local reports, the state-run Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corp has posted bidding documents on its website auctioning contracts for 100MW of PV plants and 100MW of solar thermal plants.
The first time the northwestern state called for bids last December, it failed to carry out the auction. Bids this time are due by January 11 and will be opened the same day, according to the documents.
Rajasthan receives on average the most solar irradiation in India after the neighbouring state of Gujarat, according to a joint study by the India Meteorological Department and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Contracts are available for PV projects of 5 or 10MW each and for solar thermal plants of 50MW each.
Companies can bid for both types and also import equipment and technology for their projects, according to the agency’s rules.
Developers will have a year to complete photovoltaic plants and two years to complete solar thermal plants, it said.
