SECI Continues To Struggle with Renewable Tenders in Hotspots

For the second time in a fortnight a newer deadline for the first ever grid-connected solar plant in Leh, Ladakh has been announced by the Solar Energy Commission of India (SECI). Request for Bids (RfB) have been updated to include a few important amendments.

The tender was first issued back in July with  a tentative deadline date of 23rd August, 2018 but has now been extended to 10^th September, 2018 from 3^rd September.

SECI issued the tender on behalf of construction agency Military Engineer Services (MES), for the design, engineering, supply, construction, installation, testing, and commissioning of the two projects at Tangtse and Durbuk in Leh district (Ladakh). The project capacity was equally tendered between the two sites as 1.5 MW solar plants which will also include installation of battery energy storage systems of 0.75MW / 2.5MWh at each of the two sites.

Along with the notice for extension, SECI has also released a list of all the amendments that have been made in clauses of the initial tender. Find the amendments in RfB.

SECI haven’t stated why the tender deadline was extended again, but early assumptions suggest the impact of the safeguard duty turmoil in the market which has seen a decline in growth of the sector over the past few months.

Advancements in the National Energy Storage Mission, which is looking to promote energy storage systems and solutions in the country might also have a role to play as developers are not so keen on developing storage facilities at the moment.

In recent developments, SECI has also extended the deadline for their 2 MW solar plus 1 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) at Kaza, located in Spiti Valley from 31^st August, 2018 to 14^th September, 2018. Indicating the ongoing struggles of the board when it comes to closing out renewable tenders in sensitive locations.

These extensions are happening even as the MNRE minister, R.K. Singh has asserted that the government plans to establish upto 25 GW of power in the Ladakh region wing to the regions ideal location and weather conditions for solar power.