Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has issued a tender for conducting a detailed survey for a proposed 22 MW floating solar project in Kerala.

The last date for the submission of the bids is December 27, 2019.

The project will be installed at Rajiv Gandhi Combined Cycle Power Project at Kayamkulam. The estimated cost of the project is ₹0.83 million (~$11,569).

The NTPC had floated a tender for the development of this project last year.

The scope of work would include the geotechnical investigation of land, bathymetric survey, and geotechnical investigation of the water body on which the floating solar project is to be installed. The scope also includes mobilizing necessary survey instruments, materials, tools, equipment, survey boat, and labor for conducting the survey. The work also involves laboratory investigation, analysis, and interpretation of test data collected.

According to the tender document, interested bidders should have executed similar work related to the bathymetric survey and geotechnical investigation of water bodies in the past. The prospective bidder’s average annual financial turnover during the last three financial years should be at least 30% of the estimated value of this project.

Floating solar power projects are usually favored in states where land availability for the development of utility-scale solar projects is an issue. Of late, there have been numerous efforts across the states to utilize this concept of floating solar projects to build a clean and sustainable future.

Previously, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust also issued a request for a proposal inviting bidders to provide quotations for carrying out a detailed survey for an upcoming floating solar project at its premises. This survey also included bathymetry, hydrography, and soil investigation for a floating solar project that the trust is planning to install.

According to Mercom India’s Solar Project Tracker, the state of Kerala has ~90 MW of installed solar capacity and has around 120 MW under the development pipeline. Out of this, a cumulative capacity of 100 MW is floating solar projects.

Image credit: SPG Solar [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.