The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has invited bids to set up solar PV power plants with a cumulative capacity of 14 MW and 42 MWh of energy storage. These solar PV plants of various sizes will have battery energy storage system (BESS) facility for three hours.
SECI has issued a tender on behalf of Ladakh Renewable Energy Development Agency (LREDA) and Kargil Renewable Energy Development Agency (KREDA). The solar PV plants of different sizes will come up in various locations of Leh and Kargil districts in the state of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).
Scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacture, supply, erection, testing, commissioning, and O&M for the solar power plants.
SECI has currently placed the tender ad in the newspapers. A notice inviting tender (NIT) documents will be uploaded and available online as of July 31, 2017.
The tender is being issued under Prime Minister's Development Package for J&K.
Earlier this year in January, the State Government of J&K signed a MoU with the Central Government to develop 7,500 MW solar park capacity (see 7.5 GW Solar For Ladakh?). Out of this capacity, 5 GW is being planned for the district of Leh, with remaining 2.5 GW is set aside for Kargil district.
Some regions of J&K have historically been bones of contention between India and neighboring Pakistan. Protests and curfews have been paralyzing these regions. To bring back focus on development and as one Indian media outlet stated 'assuage the feeling of alienation in Jammu and Kashmir' Prime Minister Narendra Modi's central government approved a 800 billion INR ($12.48 billion) development package for the state in November 2015. Of this amount, 117.08 billion INR ($1.83 billion) has been earmarked for power, new and renewable energy industry. which includes solar power as well.