The Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) awarded its auction to deliver power from 600 MW of grid-connected solar power projects (Phase XVII) at the Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat to NHPC, SJVN Green Energy, and NTPC Renewable Energy. The auction has a greenshoe option of 600 MW available to the developers. NHPC won a capacity of 200 MW by quoting Rs 2.73 per kWh. SJVN Green Energy was awarded a capacity of 200 MW at Rs 2.88 per kWh. NTPC Renewable Energy got 200 MW of the 400 MW specified capacity using the bucket-filling method, quoting Rs 2.89 per kWh.
According to the tender guidelines, to reduce technology risk and ensure project completion on schedule, only commercially established and operating technologies can be employed for the projects. The tender was announced in September 2022. GUVNL will enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA) with winning bidders for a period of 25 years beginning with the project’s projected commercial operation date.
Also, the project should be planned to distribute energy at the central transmission utility’s (CTU) 400/765 kV substation in Khavda at the CTU peripheral through the developer’s 33/400 KV internal pooling substation. GUVNL will not repay the selected bidder for any expenses incurred between the project and the delivery point, including gearbox and wheeling charges. GUVNL will bear all expenses, including wheeling charges and losses incurred during transmission and distribution beyond the delivery site.
In March 2023, GUVNL requested bids for 500 MW of grid-connected wind projects (Phase V), with a greenshoe option for an additional 500 MW. According to the tender guidelines, bidders must pay a bid processing fee of Rs 300,000 and 18 per cent GST. They must also provide Rs 1 million per MW as an earnest money deposit.
