SOLAR PV TENDERS UPDATE

This is an overview on solar tender information that TaiyangNews has published as part of stories on its website over the course of the past two weeks. For more information on a tender listed below, click on the source to directly access the tender documents (if available).

ASIA

Indian State Utility Launches GW-Scale Solar PV Tender: Indian state-owned hydropower utility NHPC Limited has launched a competitive procurement process to source up to 1,200 MW solar PV capacity, with an additional of up to 1,200 MW under greenshoe option.??Winning bidders will be required to set up the grid-connected solar PV power projects anywhere in India with interstate transmission system (ISTS) connectivity. Land for these projects needs to be identified and arranged by the solar power generators (SPG).?The minimum capacity a single bidder can bid for is 50 MW, and thereafter in multiples of 10 MW up to a maximum of 600 MW without greenshoe option. With greenshoe option, the maximum capacity for a single bidder can go up to 1.2 GW.??

Eligible projects located in the north-eastern and special category states can offer a minimum capacity of 30 MW.??Projects need to be installed on build-own-operate (BOO) basis. The task also includes setting up a dedicated transmission network up to the interconnection/delivery point. NHPC is the offtaker and intermediary nodal agency for procurement of power supplied by the SPGs. It will procure power generated under 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) to be sold to various state utilities/discoms and other beneficiaries. Details the latter will be shared by the NHPC at a later date.??

The tender was launched on May 31, 2024. Bids will be admitted till June 29, 2024. Details are available on NHPC’s website with Works No. NH/CCW/CC-I/CO-319/PR16924/2.?For more details, click here.

SECI Launches New Solar PV Tender For 1.2 GW Capacity: The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has launched a tender under tranche XVI of the inter-state transmission system (ISTS) connected solar PV projects with a combined 1,200 MW capacity.?Eligible projects must be set up on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis. The minimum capacity a single bidder can bid for is fixed at 50 MW while the maximum can go up to 600 MW.??Solar modules to be used for the projects need to be sourced from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) List-I of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Bidders can also come from countries with whom India shares a land border.??Winners will enter into a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with SECI that plans to sell the power generated to different buying entities.??

SECI launched the tender on May 29, 2024. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for June 6, 2024. The last date for bid submission is July 12, 2024. Further details are available on SECI’s website. ? ?

Tender For 200 MW AC Solar Power Plant In Uttar Pradesh: Winner of the tender will need to provide services including design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing and commissioning of the project. Operation and maintenance (O&M) services for 5 years post commissioning is also part of the job. Land for the project will be provided by RECPDCL and in Jhansi Solar Park developed by TUSCO Ltd. Solar modules to be used need to be listed in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s (MNRE), Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM). These need be mono PERC bifacial modules of at least 540W and above. Solar cells used should have a fill factor of 0.72. According to the technical specifications listed in the tender, solar modules for this tender shall consist of 72 cells, connected in series using 4 or more busbars. The glass used should be toughened low iron glass with minimum thickness of 3.2 mm or more for 72-cell module. Each module should have a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tag for traceability.

The tender was launched on May 17, 2024. The last date for bid submission, both for online and offline submissions, is June 6, 2024. Further details are available on RECPDCL’s website.

AUSTRALIA

Australia’s Largest Ever Single Tender For Renewable Energy: Australia’s federal government has launched an indicative 6 GW of renewable electricity generation tender under its Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), across the National Electricity Market (NEM). This is the country’s largest ever single tender for renewable energy.?Dubbed CIS Tender I, it targets to source 6 GW capacity across the country, allocating a minimum of 2.2 GW (capped at 3.7 GW) in New South Wales (NSW), 1.4 GW in Victoria, and 300 MW each in South Australia and Tasmania. The remaining 1.8 GW will be allocated to projects across the NEM based on their merit, said AEMO Services that’s implementing the tender process. The minimum project capacity to be entertained under the tender is 30 MW, which will come from an eligible renewable energy source. It should be eligible to create large-scale generation certificates under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000. Winning projects must be completed by 2027. ?

The tender was launched on May 31, 2024. Project registrations will close on June 19, 2024, and project bids close on July 1, 2024. Details are available on the AEMO Services website. For more details, click here.

Tasmania Announces State’s 1st Renewable Energy Zone: The Australian state of Tasmania has announced its 1st renewable energy zone (REZ) in the North West region and has invited stakeholder consultation on the same. The high potential to generate green energy from wind and solar farms, among other factors, helped the government set sight on the location.?According to the government assessment, the potential generation capacity for the proposed North West REZ is 1 GW, while the potential generation capacity by developable area is 9.53 GW. Located within 4 municipal areas of Waratah-Wynyard, Burnie, Central Coast and Kentish, Tasmania’s maiden REZ is targeted to cover 114,244 hectares.?The proposed North West REZ is 1st of the 3 planned REZs with the remaining planned in North East and Central Tasmania. These 3 regions have the largest amount of proposed renewable energy generation capacity, including 4.8 GW of proposed new generation development with some 1.9 GW expected to become operational before 2040.?Launched on May 20, 2024, the consultation for the North West REZ will remain open for submissions till July 1, 2024. Details of the REZ and the consultation process are available on a dedicated website.?For more details, click here.

AFRICA

AfDB Invites Interested Financial Management Specialists For Desert-To-Power Initiative: The African Development Bank (AfDB) has invited expressions of interest (EOI) seeking Financial Management Specialist to support its ambitious Desert-to-Power (DtP) plan under which it targets to install 10 GW solar PV capacity in Africa’s Sahel region. Through the DtP initiative, AfDB aims to harness the solar potential of 11 Sahel nations by 2030. This 10 GW capacity is expected to provide clean electricity access to around 250 million people through a combination of on-grid and off-grid solutions. Under phase I, the program targets to cover Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

Implementing agency of the program, the Ecowas Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) seeks a Financial Management Specialist for the project implementation unit (PIU) to cover 2 components out of 5 that the DtP is divided into. Component I is phase I of the West Africa Regional Energy Program (WAREP). This aims to address financial barriers to private sector-led distributed power generation and mini-grid development. It will also look into providing technical assistance for on-grid and off-grid solar projects. The other component is the Regional Technical Assistance Program for the Sahel (ReTAPS). This will help provide technical assistance to the phase I nations with regard to creating an enabling environment for solar power projects. It will also help unlock private sector investments. The winning candidate of this tender will lead the project in terms of budgeting, finance, and will have the ultimate responsibility for the preparation of quarterly interim unaudited financial reports and annual projects financial statements, among other tasks.

The last date to submit applications to this EOI round launched on May 22, 2024 is June 19, 2024. Details of the tender are available on AfDB’s website.

Zambia & Zimbabwe Exploring Floating Solar PV Technology: The African Development Bank (AfDB) has invited eligible consultants to express their interest in preparing a feasibility study for a floating solar power plant on the Lake Kariba Reservoir at the Kariba Dam.?The Kariba Dam is operated and managed by the Zambezi River Authority, a bilateral organization owned by both Zambia and Zimbabwe, to maintain the Kariba Dam Complex that the 2 countries share.?The authority is also in charge of developing the full hydropower potential on the shared portion of the Zambezi River that’s common to both countries.?The 2 countries are exploring floating solar PV technology to increase power generation capacity as, along with the Southern African Power Pool, they suffer a power deficit due to poor hydrology affecting the Zambezi catchment.?

The selected consultant under the call will be tasked with preliminary as well as full feasibility studies for the Kariba site. The assessment should incorporate the socio-economic aspect of the proposed floating PV project to guide the authorities.?The development of financing and business models too will be part of the service agreement.?The AfDB has issued the call under the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa’s (SEFA) Africa Hydropower Modernization Program (AHMP).?

Launched on May 15, 2024, the bank will accept applications to the call till June 15, 2024, according to the tender details.?

USA

US Utility Launches Call For Over 1 GW Clean Energy Capacity: Part of the American Electric Power (AEP) group, US utility Appalachian Power (APCo) has invited proposals for more than 1 GW of new clean energy capacity from wind, solar and battery energy storage systems (BESS) to meet its future energy needs.?

The 1st request for proposals (RFP) seeks up to 800 MW of wind and/or solar resources along with co-located as well as standalone BESS via one or more purchase and sale agreements (PSA) for 100% equity in the project company.?

Preference will be accorded to projects located within Virginia or West Virginia on eligible sites that are defined as those previously used for electricity generation, industrial, manufacturing or mining operations. They may not be limited to brownfields, closed landfills, hazardous waste sites, former industrial sites and former mining sites.?The minimum project size under the RFP is 50 MW for wind and solar and 10 MW for BESS. These may be completed or under development provided such facilities can come online latest by December 15, 2028.?

APCo’s 2nd RFP relates to up to 300 MW of wind and/or solar via one or more power purchase agreements (PPA). The utility aims to purchase the energy, capacity and environmental attributes, including renewable energy certificates (REC) from the project. Solar power projects with a minimum size of 5 MW and wind energy projects with 50 MW capacity can apply. These need to come online by December 31, 2028.??Eligible projects under both RFPs need to be connected to the PJM Interconnection or APCo distribution system.?

The 3rd RFP is for RECs produced from eligible renewable energy resources. Bidders can submit proposals for contract terms between 5 years and 30 years beginning January 1, 2027. Launched on May 13, 2024, APCo will admit proposals to its RFPs till July 16, 2024. The details of the 3 RFPs are available on its website.??