Jangi Thopan Powari project in India failed to attract bidders

Himachal Pradesh state government in India has once again failed to attract bids for its 960MW Jangi-Thopan-Powari hydropower project.

The government has postponed the last date to submit bids as only Flex Industries submitted a bid, despite Tata Power, Adani, Reliance, Jaypee Group, HSW, SJVNL, NBCC buying the tender documents.

BusinesssLine cited Government of Himachal Pradesh Directorate of Energy chief engineer S P Gupta as saying: "We were supposed to open the bids on March 16. But there was only one bidder. We have postponed the date.

"This is being done to ensure there is competition."

As per the bid term, bidders for the project were required to offer a bid above the minimum Rs3500000/MW.

The potential bidder is also required to provide 12% free power for the first 12 years from the project, and 18% power for the next 18 years followed by 30% for the balance 10 years of operation.

Previously, the project was given to Netherlands-based Brakel to build dividing them as two separate projects with 480 MW each.

Subsequently, the state government cancelled the deal with Brakel and announced to go for re-bidding integrating the two projects as one.

Thopan-Powari-Jangi hydropower project estimated to require $70bn ($1bn) investment.