VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Green Energy Corporation Ltd (APGECL) has floated the tender for establishment of solar power plants with an aggregate capacity of 6,400 megawatts (MW) for offering sustainable free agriculture power for at least 30 years. The mega solar plants would come up in 10 locations in Kadapa, Kurnool, Anantapur and Prakasam districts.
The last date to file the bids is December 28 and they would be opened to identify the solar power developers (SPDs) on January 7. Reverse auction will also be held to identify the lowest rates. Though the officials had preliminarily planned the establishment of 6,050 MW in 10 locations, it has been decided to have the capacities in the multiples of 300 MW and 400 MW after the judicial preview and hence there has been an increase of 350 MW in the total capacity.
The mega solar parks will come up at Chakrayapet (600MW), Thondur (400MW), M. Kambaladinne (600MW), Pendlimarri (600MW) of Kadapa district, Rudrasamudram (600MW) and CS Puram (600MW) of Prakasam district, Uruchintala (600MW), Kambadur (1200MW), Mudigubba (600MW) of Anantapur district, and Kolimigundla (600MW) of Kurnool district.
A total capacity of 6,400 MW would be taken up in the first phase and the state government has planned for 10,000 MW in total. Since SPDs will have an option to develop 50 per cent capacity over what has been awarded to the bidder under the greenshoe option, the government will have the flexibility to either go for another round of tenders for the remaining 3,600 MW or could go the greeshoe way. The projects will be executed in build own operate and transfer model and the power purchase agreement will be for 30 years. If there is any excess generation over and above the 10 per cent of declared annual capacity utilisation factor, APGECL will purchase it.
AP Electricity Regulatory Commission’s approval is needed for entering into power purchase agreements. Officials said since commissioning of the plants take time, they would get the necessary clearances in the meantime.
Meanwhile, APEPDCL has also invited tenders for the empanelment of agencies for design, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of 8 MW of grid-connected residential rooftop solar projects. Two tenders for installation of 1 KW to 10 KW to 500 KW, to be developed under capital expenditure model, were floated, and the last date for submitting the bids is January 6.