There has been only a lukewarm response from the solar power bidders to the state government’s ambitious plans to set up solar power plants with an installed capacity of 1,000 MW.
Of the 181 bidders who had filed tenders, only 34 accepted the state government’s offer price of Rs 6.49 per unit and expressed willingness to set up solar power plants with a total installed capacity of 350 MW.
The APTransco had called for bids for setting up solar power plants to produce a total of 1,000 MW through competitive bidding in the wake of the state government’s solar power policy.
Following this, 181 bidders submitted 331 bids for setting up solar power plants in 161 locations. These bids were put up before the Group of Ministers (GoM) which, after studying them, offered a price of Rs 6.49 per unit to all the technically-qualified bidders.
It also gave them 30 days’ time to accept or reject the offer, with the last date for communicating their decision being June 4.
At the end of the deadline, seven bidders accepted government’s offer price of Rs 6.49 per unit for setting up plants to produce a total of 53 MW.
Another 27 bidders accepted the offer price with certain conditions like change in location, increase in capacity, increase in rate for setting up solar power plants with a total capacity of 297 MW.