GUVNL seeks bids for 800 MW solar projects at Khavda solar park

Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) has announced the invitation for bids for Phase XX of grid- connected solar projects at the Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat, with an additional greenshoe option of 800 MW capacity. The deadline for bid submission is June 15, 2023, with bids scheduled to be opened on June 19. Interested bidders are required to pay a bid processing fee of Rs 300,000 ($3,621) plus 18% GST, along with an earnest money deposit of Rs 400,000 ($4,828) per MW. The successful bidder will need to provide a performance bank guarantee of Rs 800,000 ($9,656) per MW before signing the power purchase agreement (PPA), following the issuance of the letter of intent.

GUVNL will enter into a 25-year PPA with the chosen bidders, starting from the scheduled commercial operation date of the project. The project should be designed to deliver energy to the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) periphery, with the successful bidder responsible for obtaining grid connectivity with GETCO or the central transmission utility. All expenses related to transmission, wheeling charges, and losses between the project and the delivery point will be the responsibility of the developer, without reimbursement from GUVNL. It will bear expenses associated with wheeling charges and losses for transmission and distribution beyond the delivery point.

The declared annual capacity utilization factor (CUF) should be a minimum of 17%, and the successful bidder must maintain generation to achieve an annual CUF within +10% and -15% of the declared value for the first ten years. Afterward, the annual CUF should remain a minimum of 15% of the declared annual CUF until the end of the 25-year period.

Solar modules used in the projects must be warranted for a peak output wattage of at least 90% at the end of ten years and 80% at the end of 25 years from the project's commercial operation date.

Only established and operational technologies listed in the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy can be utilized to minimize technology risks and ensure timely project commissioning.