Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has invited bids for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of a 5 MW solar power project at its facility in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu.

The last date to submit the bids is January 30, 2023. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The O&M contract will be valid for two years.

Bidders will have to submit ₹111,845 (~$1,375) as an earnest money deposit.

Earlier in 2020, BHEL had floated an O&M tender for the same project for two years.

The tender mandates that bidders should have successfully executed at least one project of 80% of the estimated bid value or two orders each of 50% of the estimated project value, or three orders each of 40% of the estimated bid value in the last three years for any central or state government organization, or a public sector undertaking, or a public-listed company.

Also, bidders should have executed three similar works each costing not less than ₹2.236 million (~$27,481), or two similar works each costing not less than ₹2.796 million (~$34,363), or three similar works, each costing lot less than ₹4.473 million (~$54,975) during the last seven years.

In the terms of the tender, ‘similar works’ amount to the O&M of a minimum 11 kV substation, or O&M of a renewable energy station having an operating voltage of 11 kV and above, or installation and commissioning of 11 kV and above HT electrical works, or O&M of an 11 kV and above HT substation during the last seven years.

The average financial turnover of bidders during any three of the last five financial years should be at least ₹1.6 million (~$19,665).

Also, bidders must have a valid electrical license from the state electricity board of Tamil Nadu in their own name to meet the eligibility criteria.

In case of delays, the contractor will have to pay liquidated damages at 0.5% of the particular balance of quantity (BOQ) value per week of delay or part thereof, subject to a ceiling of 10% of the particular BOQ value.

BHEL has stated that purchase preference will be given to micro and small enterprises (MSEs). If L-1 is not an MSE and the MSE service provider has quoted a price within L-1+ 15% of margin, then 100% order quantity will be awarded to such MSE bidder subject to acceptance of the L1 bid price.

Recently, BHEL invited bids for O&M of a 5 MW solar power project at its heavy electrical equipment plant (HEEP) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

Earlier, BHEL had invited bids for O&M of 2.015 MW rooftop solar systems for 54 months.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, BHEL has so far floated O&M tenders for 991.74 MW of solar power projects.