RECPDCL invites fresh bids for Himachal hydropower evacuation scheme

REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL) has launched a tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) process to select a transmission service provider for evacuating power from the 450 MW Shongtong Karcham hydroelectric project (HEP) and the 150 MW Tidong HEP in Himachal Pradesh.

The project, being developed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL), is scheduled to be commissioned by July 2026. The transmission scheme will be housed under the special purpose vehicle (SPV) Shongtong Power Transmission Limited.

The single-stage Request for Proposal (RFP), issued on September 4, 2025, requires bidders to establish the interstate transmission system on a build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) basis. The selected bidder will acquire 100 per cent equity in the SPV. The deadline for bid submission is October 6, 2025.

The project scope includes setting up a 400/220 kV gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) pooling station at Jhangi, constructing about 175 km of 400 kV double-circuit transmission lines, and installing associated bays at Wangtoo and Panchkula substations. The scheduled commercial operation date is 30 months from the transfer of the SPV.

Bidders must meet technical and financial criteria. The technical requirement specifies prior experience in developing infrastructure projects with a capital expenditure of at least Rs 605.60 crore or equivalent construction payments over the past five years. Financially, bidders must have a minimum net worth of Rs 250 crore.

The earlier bidding round for this scheme, initiated in June 2023, was annulled in September 2024. At that stage, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL), and Resonia (formerly Sterlite Power) had been shortlisted, with PGCIL emerging as the lowest bidder before the process was cancelled.