Solar Energy Corporation of India floats tender for offshore wind power project

The Indian state-owned Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) last week issued a tender for the development of a 500-MW wind power project off the coast of Gujarat.

According to the tender document, bids are due by December 12, with pre-bid meetings scheduled for October 22. The project is expected to be completed within 48 months, and bidders are required to submit an earnest money deposit of INR3.7mn ($44,000) per MW.

SECI will enter into a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the successful bidder, without taking ownership of the project once the PPA expires. The designated area for the project is 202 square kilometres in the Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat. Power procured from the project will be sold to Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited on behalf of the state's distribution companies, with SECI acting as the intermediary agency.

The project will be eligible for central financial assistance in the form of viability gap funding.

SECI, under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy (MNRE), facilitates the development of renewable energy projects in India, including solar and offshore wind energy. MNRE is responsible for offshore wind energy development within India's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and coordinates with various government entities for the initiative's overall progress.