The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (WBSEDCL) has invited expressions of interest for setting up electric vehicle charging infrastructure in public-private partnership (PPP) to boost e-mobility in the state, an official said on Sunday.
The state-run utility has sought bids from interested operators to build 205 charging or battery-swapping stations for different types of vehicles, he said.
WBSEDCL, the state nodal agency for establishing charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, said the stations would be installed on its land but maintained by operators who will offer a share of the revenue.
"In this tranche of the deal, we will provide land for the installation of 205 EV charging/swapping stations in our sub-stations. The investment, operation and maintenance will be done by private concessionaires. The floor value of revenue share for the auction is Re 1 per unit of electricity," the official told PTI.
A bidder who will offer the highest revenue share will be awarded the contract for a specific site. Of the 205 stations, 40 will be set up along national highways and the remaining 165 will be built elsewhere, he said, adding that the initial contract period will be of 10 years, with extension clauses, he said.
The state power sector regulator - West Bengal Electricity Regulatory Commission (WBERC) - has set a tariff of Rs 6.98 per unit for EV charging stations throughout the year.
According to the state EV policy, West Bengal intends to be one of the best states in terms of electric mobility penetration by 2030 with a target of one million e-vehicles.