The Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA) has opened a tender inviting bids for selecting solar power generators to set up 500 MW solar power projects under Component A of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) programme, on a build, own, and operate basis. The prime focus of the project is to let Grid Corporation of Odisha meet its renewable solar purchase obligation. Rs 3.08 per kWh has been set as a ceiling tariff for the tender. The project also aims to enable farmers, village bodies, cooperatives and other such bodies to either develop the project or increase their earnings by leasing their land to set up the project by a builder. OREDA also aims to promote local employment through the project. The other key area for promoting the project is to reduce the carbon footprint for a period of 25 years to the extent of 666,500 tonne per annum. The government has set a target to set up 10 GW of decentralised ground-mounted grid-connected solar projects of individual project size of up to 2 MW, under Component A of the programme. The pre-bid meeting is going to be held on May 21. The last date to make the bids online is 22 June 2021, and the bids will be opened on June 24. The bidder who is victorious will have to furnish Rs 500,000 per MW of the quoted capacity as the security deposit for the performance. Laying the dedicated 11 kV line from the project to a nearby 33/11 kV substation, construction of bay, and related switchgear at the substation will also be the bidder’s responsibility, where the project will get connected to the grid, and metering will be done. The solar power generator will be responsible for engineering, procuring, taking insurance, installing, testing, designing, supplying, transporting, achieving, erecting, and constructing the commissioning of the project. The bidders should not have any records of being blacklisted or defaulted by any government agency, public sector undertaking or any other institution. The bidders can partake as an individual farmer, group of farmers, cooperative, or a panchayat setting up the project on their lands to participate in the bidding process. They could hand over the task to a developer as an alternative. Image Source Also read: Solar power: India third most attractive country for solar investment Also read: National Solar Mission: Installations now 40% of 2022 target