Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has invited bids for the supply of 10.27 million monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells with a wattage output of 5.38 W.

The cells should be five busbars in length and 158.75 ± 0.5 x 158.75 ± 0.5 in dimension. The thickness of the cells should be 200 ± 20 microns. The diagonal variation of the solar cells should not be more than 0.5 mm.

The last date to submit the bids is July 15, 2022. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The cells must be free of cracks, holes, cuts, edge chipping, missing gridlines, patches, spots, marks, and mechanical damage. They should have a homogeneous silicon nitride coating.

The solar cells should be air-tight and packed with polythene or polypropylene sachets of not more than 125 cells per sachet.

The first lot of three million solar cells should be delivered within 30 days from the date of manufacturing clearance. Subsequently, two lots of three million each and the rest in the last lot are to be delivered within 30 days of manufacturing clearance of each lot.

Bidders should have an average annual financial turnover of ₹225 million (~$2.85 million) during the last three years. They should have a solvency certificate from a reputed bank for ₹220 million (~$2.78 million). Their net worth during the last three financial years should be positive.

The original equipment manufacturer (OEM) should have a minimum of 20 million per annum production capacity of mono PERC solar cells. The OEM should have supplied a minimum of 20 million mono PERC solar cells to reputed module manufacturers in the last three years.

The OEM should implement an established quality assurance system and be certified against ISO: 9001:2015.

The supplier should have a well-established in-house laboratory and testing facilities with the requisite workforce to perform routine in-process and finished product testing.

If the vendor fails to supply the required quantity within the stipulated time, liquidated damages of 0.5% of the undelivered portion per week, subject to a maximum of 10% of the total contract price, will apply.

BHEL has stated that 25% of the tendered quantity has been reserved for micro and small enterprise (MSE) suppliers. Out of the 25% tendered quantity reserved for MSE suppliers, 6.25% has been earmarked for procurement by MSEs owned by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs, and 3% for women-owned MSEs.

Last November, BHEL invited bids for the supply of 7.361 million mono PERC solar cells with a wattage output of 5.38 W.

Earlier, BHEL had invited bids to enter into a memorandum of understanding with vendors to procure multicrystalline and mono PERC solar cells to manufacture solar modules of 200 MW.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, BHEL has so far floated tenders for 51.2 million solar photovoltaic cells.