Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has issued a request for proposal to acquire 865 MW of solar power from existing and new projects to be developed in the state. The tender’s ceiling tariff has been fixed at Rs 3.10 per kWh by MSEDCL.
As per the tender guidelines, to be eligible for the bidding process, solar projects that are in the process of being built or that have already been completed and do not have a long-term power purchase agreement with any agency will be eligible to compete in the tender. The winning bidders must commission new projects within 12 months after receiving the letter of award. Furthermore, individual projects must have a minimum capacity of 2 MW and a maximum capacity of 10 MW to be developed. From the date of commercial operation of solar projects, MSEDCL will sign a 25-year PPA with the winning bidders. The bid submission deadline is February 28, 2022.
In December 2021, MSEDCL invited bids to procure 500 MW of solar power from decentralised solar projects under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) program to be developed in Maharashtra. By 2022, the government is expected to solarize one million grid-connected agriculture pumps with individual capacities of up to 7.5 HP under Component C of the KUSUM programme.
