The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has invited bids for a 100MWac/200MWp solar project with a 50MW/150MWh battery energy storage system in the state of Chhattisgarh.
As well as the design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing and commissioning of the project, the contract will also include operations and maintenance services for ten years.
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SECI has applied for financing from the World Bank and intends to apply part of the proceeds towards payments for the project.
Bidders are required to pay US$900,000 as an earnest money deposit. Online bids are now open until 27 October, with a site visit planned for 29 September.
Launch of the process follows a flurry of recent solar tenders in India as the country ramps up efforts to meet its 2022 goal of 175GW installed renewable capacity.
Solarpack and Enel were among the winners of a recent tender for 2GW of contracts that received record-low bids. Solarpack presented an offer for a 396MW project at a price of INR2.36/kWh (US$0.031/kWh), equivalent to around €28/MWh. Extrapolated over the course of the contract’s length, the Spanish company said it assured energy sales worth just over €500 million.
Meanwhile, an auction for 1.2GW of solar projects that closed last month saw developers such as Azure Power and Tata Power pick up contracts. Commentators said the low tariffs received may have been a result of the recent extension of a 14.9% safeguard duty on the imports of solar cells and modules from China.
In terms of renewables-plus-storage, a 1.2GW hybrid tender that coupled pumped hydro, batteries, solar and wind power was lauded by industry figures as achieving competitive prices compared to coal power. Greenko Group secured the lowest weighted average tariff of INR4.04/kWh (US$0.057/kWh) for 900MW of capacity.
