Amara Raja Infra (ARIPL), a subsidiary of battery maker Amara Raja Group, in collaboration with Premier Solar Powertech, a solar module manufacturer in India, has secured a 100 MW solar project from Bangladesh’s Rural Power Company (RPCL).

The project, valued at $130 million, will be located on 326 acres of land in Madarganj, Jamalpur District, Bangladesh, and marks ARIPL’s entry into the international solar market.

The project entails the engineering, design, supply, installation, and commissioning of the solar power project and will be financed by the EXIM Bank of India.

ARIPL must commission the project within 18 months of receiving the award letter.

Following its commissioning, ARIPL will also provide two years of comprehensive operation and maintenance services, including warranty spares and consumables.

Vikramadithya Gourineni, Director of ARIPL, said, “It is an extraordinary achievement for the Amara Raja Group to secure this contract amidst stiff competition from industry giants. In a short period of time, we have taken on some of the biggest renewable energy projects in India, and with this project, we can establish ourselves as a serious player in the international market as well.”

Adding this 100 MW solar project in Bangladesh, ARIPL now boasts a solar portfolio pipeline of 1 GW.

The company has evacuated over 7 GW of renewable energy through extra high voltage substations and lines constructed in the last five years.

In June last year, Amara Raja Power Systems was awarded the contract for setting up India’s first green hydrogen fueling station in Leh, Ladakh, by NTPC. Amara Raja Power Systems was selected to execute this initiative based on its technical expertise.

In May, Amara Raja broke ground on Telangana’s first gigafactory for lithium cell and battery pack manufacturing in the Mahbubnagar district.

In January this year, Amara Raja and Petronas Ventures led a $40 million Series B funding for Bengaluru-headquartered advanced battery and fuel cell technology company Log9 Materials.

Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has invited bids to commission a 5 MW solar power project in Saraisadi village of Mau district, Uttar Pradesh.

The projects must be developed on a build, own and operate basis and commissioned within 15 months of receiving the work order.

Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation will enter into a power purchase agreement with the select developer for 25 years at the fixed ceiling tariff of ₹2.98 (~$0.036)/ kWh.

The last day to submit the bids is July 26, 2023. The bids will be opened the next day.

Bidders must submit a bid processing fee of ₹200,000 (~$2,439) and an earnest money deposit of ₹800,000 (~$9,756)/MW of the quoted capacity.

The selected bidders must remit ₹1.2 million (~$14,635)/ MW of the allotted capacity within thirty days of the issue of letter of intent or before the signing of the power purchase agreement, whichever is earlier.

To be eligible, bidders should have a net worth of at least ₹8 million (~$97,566)/ MW as of the last date of the previous financial year.

UPNEDA will lease 29.2 acres of land in Saraisadi village of district Mau to the selected solar power developer for 27 years. The lease rent for the land will be ₹15,000 (~$182)/acre/annum.

Developers can fully commission the project before signing the supply connection agreement. If the developer commissions the project before the scheduled commissioning date, UPNEDA may purchase the generated power until scheduled commissioning at 75% of the agreed-upon tariff.

If the developer fully commissions the project before the scheduled date, UPNEDA will purchase the generated power at the agreed-upon tariff.

Only modules included in the latest Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy should be used in the project.

The developer must ensure a minimum capacity utilization factor of 17%.

The modules must be warranted for their output peak watt capacity, which should not be less than 90% at the end of 12 years and 80% at the end of 25 years.

Recently, UPNEDA invited bids to set up 150 MW of grid-connected solar power projects under component C of the PM-KUSUM program through the RESCO model.

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The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection (BMWK) has called for expression of interest from companies that manufacture solar modules or their key components in the country to establish 10 GW of solar module manufacturing facilities.

The government aims to allocate investment subsidies through the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) for these facilities, subject to budget availability and European Commission approval.

The last date to submit the bids is August 15, 2023.

To ensure strict standards in solar module manufacturing, the ministry has outlined several stringent requirements that potential manufacturers must meet. These prerequisites aim to promote efficiency, environmental responsibility, and long-term reliability.

The selected facilities must have a minimum annual production capacity of 2 GW.

Manufacturers are mandated to achieve a module efficiency surpassing 24%.

Annual degradation should be kept below 0.2%, ensuring sustained performance throughout the module’s lifespan.

The modules must carry a minimum warranty of 25 years.

Soldering processes are strictly prohibited during production. The select manufacturers must showcase a carbon footprint below 18 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour, considering the entire service life of the modules.

Manufacturers must employ antimony-free solar glass and provide evidence of their efforts to minimize or eliminate lead or lead substitutes in module and component manufacturing.

Cell production should avoid using StickoxIde (nitrogen oxides) to minimize environmental impact.

Manufacturers must refrain from using PFAS (per and poly-fluoroalkyl substances) chemicals.

Federal Economics and Climate Protection Minister Robert Habeck said, “We need our own production capacities in Germany and Europe for central transformation technologies. This is not only a question of economic reason but also a question of economic security. The EU’s new subsidy framework offers opportunities for this, and we want to take advantage of them. We start with photovoltaics and want to support our industry in establishing permanent photovoltaic production in Germany by financially supporting lighthouse projects. This not only strengthens our technological sovereignty but also our energy-political sovereignty.”

Last October, CEOs from companies such as SolarPower Europe, First Solar, BayWa r.e., Wacker Chemie AG, and Iberdrola Group urged the European Commission to call for action to boost investment in the continent’s solar photovoltaic industrial base and reinforce the Commission’s solar deployment and energy security ambitions.

The Bundesrat, the federal legislative council, had recently approved the law passed by the Bundestag (German Parliament) under which renewables must be at least 80% of the country’s power capacity mix by 2030.

While addressing a session at the 53rd World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023,  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz reaffirmed that the country’s renewable shift is well on track despite setbacks and has accelerated post-war in Ukraine.

SJVN, a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of Himachal Pradesh, has invited bids to select renewable developers for the supply of 1,500 MW of power from interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected renewable energy projects with energy storage capacities across India.

The projects must be developed on a build, own, and operate basis. Developers who have already commissioned renewable energy or storage projects or are constructing such projects and have untied capacity may also participate in the bid.

The last date to submit the bids is July 20, 2023. Bids will be opened the following day.

Bidders will have to submit ₹1.5 million (~$18,291) + 18% GST for each project as a bid processing fee and ₹1.226 million (~$14,949)/MW of the quoted capacity per project as an earnest money deposit.

The successful bidder must furnish an amount equivalent to ₹3.065 million (~$37,375)/MW of the allotted capacity as a performance bank guarantee before signing the power purchase agreement (PPA).

SJVN will enter into a PPA with the successful bidder for 25 years.

The minimum quantum of power that can be offered by the bidder is 50 MW, and the maximum is 750 MW. However, the minimum quantum of contracted capacity the bidder can offer for projects in northeastern and special category states will be 30 MW.

The contracted capacity should be quoted in multiples of 10 MW only.

To be eligible, the net worth of bidders should be equal to or greater than ₹12.26 million (~$149,498)/MW of the quoted capacity as of the last day of the previous financial year.

To ascertain that the bidder has sufficient means to manage the fund requirements for the project, they are required to demonstrate at least one of the following parameters:

The renewables project developer will be responsible for getting the ISTS connectivity at their own cost, in line with applicable regulations.

To ensure only quality systems are installed and to bring-in advantage of the latest development, only type-certified wind turbine models listed in the Revised List of Models and Manufactures (RLMM) issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) will be allowed for deployment under the program.

SJVN has mandated that solar modules listed in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) issued by MNRE should be used for the projects.

The declared annual capacity utilization factor (CUF) should, in no case, be less than 40%. The developer should maintain generation to achieve annual CUF within + 10% and -15% of the declared value until the end of the PPA duration of 25 years.

Recently, SJVN Green Energy, a subsidiary of SJVN, emerged as one of the successful bidders in Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI) auction of 1.2 GW of ISTS-connected wind power projects (Tranche XIV).

Earlier, MNRE had designated SJVN as the implementing agency responsible for floating tenders for renewable energy projects. It will also act as the intermediary procurer of power and work with other agencies, such as Solar Corporation of India, NTPC, and NHPC, to float tenders and open bids to avoid concurrent bids.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of real-time tender activity.

Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) is seeking bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a 5 MW grid-connected ground-mounted solar power project in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh.

The project should be completed within six months of receiving the work order.

The contractor must also provide comprehensive operation and maintenance for ten years.

The last day to submit the bids is July 17, 2023. The bids will be opened on the same day.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹4.25 million (~$51,825).

The successful bidder must furnish 10% of the total order value as a performance bank guarantee.

To be eligible, bidders should have completed three similar works each costing not less than ₹130.2 million (~$1.6 million), two similar works each costing not less than ₹162.8 million (~$2 million), or a similar work costing not less than ₹260.4 million (~$3.2 million) in India during the seven years.

Bidders should have an average annual financial turnover of ₹97.7 million (~$1.2 billion) during the last three years.

The select contractor must use mono-crystalline solar modules listed in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s Approved List of Models and Manufacturers, with a minimum capacity of 540W.

The efficiency of these modules should also be at least 20%, and they must be warranted for their material, manufacturing defects, and workmanship for ten years. The output peak watt capacity should not be less than 90% at the end of 10 years and 80% at the end of 25 years.

In case of a delay, liquidated damages equivalent to 0.5% of the total EPC contract value will be applicable per week. A maximum of up to 5% of the total EPC contract value will be levied.

In April, HPCL invited bids for the EPC of 11 MW of solar power projects at its Panipat and Jhansi site for captive use in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

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Gujarat-based Param Renewable Energy, the operation and maintenance (O&M) arm of Gensol, has been awarded a contract by the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) for the O&M of a 5 MW solar power project located at IOCL’s Rawra facility in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan for three years.

Param Renewable quoted a figure of ₹14.72 million (~$179,496) for the O&M contract for three years.

The tender was floated in March this year IOCL.

The tender received technical bids from nine companies, of which only two qualified for financial evaluation, and the contract was awarded to Param Renewable Energy.

Shri Sai Electrical was the other company that qualified for the financial round.

Param Renewable will be responsible for all types of preventive, scheduled, and breakdown maintenance with the objective of maximizing electricity generation.

The company must ensure a minimum performance ratio of 76%, subject to 99.6% grid availability.

An initial security deposit of ₹124,800 (~$1,522) must be submitted by the company within 30 days from the issuance of the letter of acceptance.

They must arrange for and obtain all necessary permissions, permits, consents, and licenses, as may be necessary, to transport the equipment/material, machinery, and labor along or across the highway, roadway, railway, bridge, dike, dam, river or through posts of toll collection, octroi checks or other line border or barrier.

The company will also be responsible for ensuring that the evacuation line is in a working state and must coordinate with IOCL during the process of fault rectification and the consequent start of the project.

Also, they will remain exclusively responsible for providing all material, labor, equipment, machinery, facilities, utilities and consumables, temporary works, and other items required for or in connection with the work.

In April this year, IOCL invited bids for the annual O&M contract of a 1001.3 kW rooftop solar system installed at its Paradip Refinery and Township in Odisha.

Earlier, IOCL had invited bids for O&M of an existing 8 MW solar power project at the LPG bottling plant at Sanand in Ahmedabad for five years.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of real-time tender activity.

Assam Gas Company (AGCL) has invited bids to select a consultant to conduct the feasibility study for a proposed agrivoltaic solar power project at Sadiya in the Tinsukia district and submit the pre-feasibility report and the detailed project report for the project.

The consultant must conduct a detailed study of the agricultural aspects as part of the project and recommend the best feasible option on agricultural aspects along with the financial analysis and the solar power capacity in the detailed project report.

The last date to submit the bids is July 17, 2023. Bids will be opened on the same day.

Bidders will have to submit ₹40,000 (~$487.76) as an earnest money deposit.

The successful bidder must furnish an amount equivalent to 10% of the contract value as a performance bank guarantee.

The time for the completion of the pre-feasibility report is two months, and another two months for the completion of the detailed project report.

To be eligible, bidders should have completed three similar works, each costing not less than ₹600,000 (~$7,316), or two similar works, each costing not less than ₹800,000 (~$9,755), or one similar work costing not less than ₹1 million (~$12,194) during the last seven years.

Also, the bidder should have executed similar works for solar power projects in India with a capacity of not less than 5 MW, out of which at least one project should be grid-interactive with more than 20 MW capacity during the last seven years.

If the work is not completed within the stipulated time, the agency will be liable to pay liquidated damages at 0.5% of the contract value per day of delay, subject to a maximum of 5% of the contract value for that individual phase of work.

AGCL will provide a purchase preference to micro and small enterprise (MSE) bidders. If the participating MSE quotes a price within the price band of L1 + 15%, they will be considered for the award of the contract by bringing down their price to the L1 price in a situation where the L1 price is from someone other than an MSE.

In March this year, the Assam Cabinet gave in-principle approval for setting up 620 MW of renewable energy projects under a joint venture between the Assam Power Generation Corporation and Oil India. The projects include three agrivoltaic projects with a cumulative capacity of 250 MW.

Earlier, the Assam Power Distribution Company had invited bids to procure 200 MW of power from solar projects to be developed in Assam.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker to stay on top of the real-time tender activity.