The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has issued a request for proposals to empanel solar developers to build 100 MW of grid-connected rooftop and ground-mounted projects. As per the tender guidelines, empaneled vendors must also provide five years of operations and maintenance (O&M) services.
The project is classified into four sections. First, Part A has projects up to 10 kW. Second, Part B has projects greater than 10 kW and up to 50 kW. Third, Part C has projects greater than 50 kW and up to 100 kW. Fourth, Part D has projects larger than 100 kW. Also, the bidders must provide a deposit of Rs 100 per kW up to a maximum of Rs 10 million. The empaneled vendors must submit a performance bank guarantee equal to 10 per cent of the contract value.
Any bidder who submits a quote for Part B, C, or D must also include a mandatory quote for Part A, which cannot be less than 25 per cent of their total quoted capacity for the other three parts combined. The annual O&M charge should not be less than 1.5 per cent of the project cost in the first year, and it should not be less than the first year O&M cost with an escalation rate of 5.72 per cent in the second year. The energy produced under this contract will be applied to KSEB’s renewable purchase obligation. The deadline for bid submissions is May 6, 2023.
In September 2022, KSEB requested bids for short-term procurement of solar, wind, and hydropower to meet its Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO) target from November 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023. KSEB intends to purchase 140 MW of solar power, 100 MW of wind power, and 100 MW of hydropower.
