Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has issued an operation and maintenance (O&M) services tender for a 15 MW solar project at Charanka solar park in Gujarat. The project belongs to Gujarat Alkalies and Chemicals Ltd (GACL).

The estimated cost of the project is ₹28.4 million (~$375,058), and the work is likely to begin from July 2020. The operation and maintenance work will be valid for up to October 15, 2028.

The last date for the submission of bids is June 3, 2020. Interested bidders will have to pay a sum of ₹570,000 (~$7,540) as the earnest money deposit (EMD).

The scope of work includes the full and final completion of all operation and maintenance works, cleaning, removing all debris, and will also cover the supply of all materials, labor, and tools.

Three cycles of cleaning of the solar modules have to be completed within a month. BHEL informed that each solar module is of 2m x 1m size.

The bidders should have the experience of having completed similar works during the last five years. The tender document also states that the prospective bidders’ average annual financial turnover during the last three financial years should be 20% of the negative income tax (NIT) value.

Further, it states that the bidders should have carried out operation and maintenance work for at least 5 MW solar projects in India during the last five years. Each project should have more than 1 MW capacity, for a minimum period of one year.

According to BHEL, interested bidders should carry out a preliminary survey at the site before submitting their offers. The successful bidder should use local labor that has the necessary skills as per the requirement of the work.

Dust and dirt particles accumulate on the surface of the PV module, and this can reduce the optimal performance of the solar modules, and hence, periodic cleaning of these modules is necessary for the optimum performance of solar projects.

In line with this, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had issued a letter recommending efficient utilization of water for cleaning utility-scale solar projects. The ministry had said that project developers are currently using too much water for cleaning solar modules, and they should try and minimize wastage. The ministry had also recommended the use of robotic cleaning technology, which uses less water for cleaning solar projects.

In February 2020, BHEL also issued a tender for the operation and maintenance of 1.7 MW of solar projects for one year at Bina in Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, the BHEL floated a tender for O&M of a 50 MW solar project in Andhra Pradesh.

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.