Chennai Port Authority Invites Bids for 2 MW Rooftop Solar Project Under RESCO Model

Chennai Port Authority (ChPA) has invited online bids to select a Renewable Energy Service Company (RESCO) or project developer to set up a 2 MW (AC) grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant on four Export-Import (EXIM) godowns within the port premises. The tender (ID: 2026_ChPT_930820_1) was published on the Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP) on October 17, 2026, and bids are due by November 6, 2026. The project has an estimated value of ₹12 crore and includes operation and maintenance (O&M) for 25 years.

The latest notice marks a renewed attempt by the port to execute the project. ChPA had first sought budgetary offers for the same installation in December 2025, followed by a formal RESCO tender in March 2026 with a bid deadline of April 9, 2026.

Project Overview

Under the RESCO model, the selected developer will invest in, own and operate the solar plant, while ChPA will purchase the electricity generated at a fixed tariff over the contract period. The port thus avoids upfront capital expenditure and gains long-term price certainty.

The solar arrays will be installed on the roofs of EXIM Godowns 1 to 4. The scope of work covers assessing installation feasibility on the identified roofs, obtaining a no-objection certificate from the distribution company for grid connectivity, executing the power purchase agreement (PPA), and completing the design, engineering, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of the plant, followed by O&M for 25 years.

Key Tender Details

Bidding and Evaluation

The tender follows a two-cover system, with Cover I containing the techno-commercial bid and Cover II the financial bid. Financial bids of technically qualified bidders will be opened later, and the developer will be selected on the basis of the lowest fixed tariff quoted, subject to a ceiling set by the port. Bidders must furnish an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of ₹24 lakh in favour of the Chairman, Chennai Port Authority, payable at Chennai, with exemption available to eligible MSMEs.

The ceiling tariff for the current round is specified in the tender document. In the March 2026 round for the same project, it was set at ₹5.46 per kWh, inclusive of all taxes and duties, for 25 years, and the developer was required to complete supply, installation, testing and commissioning, including a 10-day trial run, within 180 days of the work order.

Eligibility and Technical Requirements

For the current round, the techno-commercial cover must include audited profit and loss statements and balance sheets for FY 2023-24 to 2025-26, work orders and completion certificates supporting eligibility, a local content declaration and an integrity pact, among other documents. In the March 2026 round, bidders needed to have completed one similar grid-connected rooftop solar work of at least 1.6 MW, two of 1 MW each, or three of 0.8 MW each in the last seven years, and the successful bidder had to furnish a performance bank guarantee of 5% of the estimated project cost within 14 days of the order.

On the technical side, solar modules must be sourced from the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) notified by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Public procurement local content norms also apply, with minimum local content of 50% for Class I local suppliers and 20% for Class II local suppliers, or as decided by the relevant nodal ministry.

Companion Solar-Plus-Storage Tender

The rooftop tender runs in parallel with another ChPA tender, opened for download on October 9, 2026, for a 3 MW AC grid-connected solar PV plant integrated with a 1 MW/4 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) across six EXIM godowns. That project, also under the RESCO model, carries a maximum fixed tariff of ₹6.55 per unit and an estimated cost of ₹20 crore, with the same bid submission deadline of November 6, 2026.

Policy Context

Both tenders support the targets set under the Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines, issued by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) in May 2023. The guidelines apply to all Major Ports and require the share of renewable energy at ports to exceed 60% by 2030 and 90% by 2047. Ports are expected to assess available land, rooftops and water surfaces for solar installations to meet these goals.

Chennai Port already has a rooftop solar base. According to the Ministry’s reply in the Rajya Sabha in December 2024, the port completed the installation of 400 kW of solar power on building rooftops between 2013-14 and 2023-24. The proposed 2 MW plant would expand this capacity five-fold,. Among other Major Ports, a PIB backgrounder published in December 2025 highlights New Mangalore Port as having achieved 100% solar power integration.

Conclusion

The re-tendered project gives developers a fresh opportunity to participate in renewable energy deployment at a Major Port. Its outcome will fix the tariff at which ChPA sources rooftop solar power for 25 years and mark a step towards the port’s Harit Sagar targets.

Official Sources

1. Central Public Procurement Portal (CPPP) – Chennai Port Trust, Tender ID 2026_ChPT_930820_1: https://eprocure.gov.in/eprocure/app
2. Chennai Port Authority – Official Website (Tenders): https://www.chennaiport.gov.in
3. Government e-Marketplace (GeM): https://gem.gov.in
4. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways – Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines, 2023: https://shipmin.gov.in/sites/default/files/Harit%20Sagar%20-%20Green%20Port%20Guidelines%20.pdf
5. PIB – Launch of Harit Sagar Green Port Guidelines (May 2023): https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1923116
6. PIB – Backgrounder on Green Ports (December 2025): https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2025/dec/doc20251216732701.pdf
7. Rajya Sabha – Unstarred Question No. 2551, Projects at Chennai Port Authority (17.12.2024): https://rsdebate.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/752824/1/PQ_266_17122024_U2551_p404_p405.pdf
8. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) – ALMM: https://mnre.gov.in