In a major boost to India’s renewable energy targets, the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Government of India enterprise, has officially announced a tender for 500 MW Offshore Wind Power project at the cost of Gujarat’s Gulf of Khambat. The project is going to be the first of its kind expected to play a critical role in meeting nation’s growing energy needs, diversifying the energy mix using sustainable resources and creating new supply chain opportunities.
The project will be developed within a defined area of 202 km2. The developer’s scope, under a build-operate-own model, is limited to the wind farm and array cables up the point of connection to the offshore substation (OSS). The OSS, export cable and land connection will be developed by the Central Transmission Utility (CTU). The project is also expected to comply with all relevant regulations, including the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) regulations on grid connectivity and safety standards.
SECI will manage the tender process – full details are available on SECI’s webpage. The project is supported through Viability Gap Funding from central government up to a maximum of approximately 485 million USD. Staged payments will be provided at project milestones; completion of foundation works, 50% capacity commissioned, full commissioning and one year of operation.
The single stage, two-envelope bidding procedure will be managed through the tender portal https://www.bharat-electronictender.com/. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for 22 October 2024, followed by final bid submissions on 12 December 2024. The project will be connected to the Inter-State Transmission System, and the winning developer will enter into a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with SECI.
Bidders are expected to declare their annual Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF), with the project required to maintain an annual CUF of at least 40%. The winning bidder has the option to enhance the offered capacity by 50 MW, bringing the total project capacity to 550 MW.
