New Delhi: State-run SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India) has yet again extended the bid submission deadline for its 4-megawatt (MW) floating solar power plant with battery storage system in Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the wake of the COVID-19 situation, a notification said on Monday. The previous deadline for bid submission was May 4. "The last date of bid submission is hereby extended till 18 May, 2020. The techno-commercial bid opening shall be carried out on 21 May, 2020," said SECI in the notification.
This is the sixth time that the bid submission deadline for the 4 MW floating solar power plant with battery storage system has been extended. The deadline was first extended from February 13 to February 28, then again from February 28 to March 13, followed by another extension to March 20, and then it was extended to April 13 and again finally till May 4 before being extended again.
The backdrop
SECI had invited bids in January this year for setting up a 4MW grid-connected floating solar PV power project with a 2 MW/1 MW battery energy storage system located at Kalpong Dam in Diglipur, North Andaman. According to the tender, the Andaman and Nicobar's electricity department would enter into a power purchase agreement with the successful bidder for a period of 25 years, with the tariff ceiling fixed at Rs 8 per kilowatt hour for the entire term. The bidders were asked to submit a single bid for setting up a project that will be connected to the nearest electricity department at the voltage level of 33 kV.
The projects would be developed on a build-own-operate basis.