Mumbai, Oct. 13 -- The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Navratna enterprise under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has invited bids to establish 1,200 MW of Inter-State Transmission System-connected renewable energy projects across India. The procurement will be conducted under RfS No. SECI/C&P/IPP/13/0012/26-27.

The tender seeks renewable power with an assured peak supply of 4,800 MWh, equivalent to 1,200 MW for four hours. Projects will be developed on a Build-Own-Operate basis and must include Energy Storage Systems (ESS) to support scheduled delivery. SECI will sign 25-year Power Purchase Agreements with successful bidders under Ministry of Power guidelines.

The selection process will use a single-stage, two-envelope competitive e-bidding mechanism followed by an e-Reverse Auction. Developers will be responsible for arranging land, obtaining grid connectivity and securing statutory approvals. Each bidder can offer between 50 MW and 600 MW of contracted capacity.

The document fee is Rs. 50,000 plus GST, while the bid processing fee is Rs. 20,000 per MW plus GST, subject to a maximum of Rs. 2 mn plus GST. Micro and Small Enterprises with valid Udyam registrations will be exempt from document fees, bid processing fees and Earnest Money Deposit requirements. The EMD is set at Rs. 0.97 mn per MW for solar photovoltaic capacity, Rs. 1.37 mn per MW for wind and other renewable capacity, and Rs. 0.24 mn per MWh for ESS capacity.

Successful bidders must provide Performance Bank Guarantees of Rs. 2.42 mn per MW for solar photovoltaic capacity, Rs. 3.42 mn per MW for wind and other renewable capacity, and Rs. 0.6 mn per MWh for ESS. They must also pay SECI a success charge of Rs. 0.1 mn per MW, plus GST. The tender notice was issued on October 7, 2026, and requires financial closure six months before the Scheduled Commencement of Supply Date. Full supply must begin within 18 months of the effective PPA date, with a maximum six-month grace period subject to pro-rata guarantee encashment penalties. Bids must remain valid for 12 months from the final response deadline.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Construction World.