Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL) floated a tender for the supply of hybrid inverters for solar-powered mini-grid projects in Kaduna, Nigeria.

The last date for the submission of bids is September 10, 2020.

BHEL specified that this was not a global tender, and provisions relevant to Make in India would be applicable.

BHEL-EDN is executing the project in Kaduna State, Nigeria, in consortium with Skipper Electricals (India) Limited for which the inverters are required. These mini-grids will be installed at 221 community health centers located at different places spread within Kaduna State of Nigeria, Africa.

As per the pre-qualification criteria, the prospective bidder should have manufactured, supplied, and commissioned solar inverters cum charge controllers of a cumulative rating equivalent to at least 450 kVA in the last five years. The inverter should be in satisfactory operation for at least one year.

The vendor must be an original equipment manufacturer (OEM). Winning bidders are expected to deliver the invertors by November 12, 2020.

The scope of the vendor involves the supply of hybrid solar inverter cum charge controllers of ratings 5 kW, 10 kW, and 15 kW, including spare inverters.

The inverters exported to Nigeria should comply with the Standards Organization of Nigeria Conformity Assessment Program.

The vendor will provide support at the site for installation and commissioning, along with on-site training for engineers and integrators. The vendor will also provide service support during the comprehensive warranty period. They should also offer an optional price for an additional, comprehensive warranty of three years after the completion of the initial warranty period.

In March, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Government of Nigeria announced the launch of their National Electrification Project, which aims to improve access to energy by promoting private investment into mini-grid and off-grid solutions. The project will be implemented by the country’s Rural Electrification Agency to boost efforts to achieve the target of universal energy access by 2030. The project will be jointly financed by the AfDB and Africa Growing Together Fund (AGTF), amounting to $200 million (~₹14.82 billion).

Recently, it was reported that All On, an independent impact investment company, announced the completion of the first phase of nationwide solar installations at Nigeria’s emergency health facilities related to the COVID-19 pandemic response. Many off-grid companies in Nigeria realized early that solar companies would have to play a critical role toward the COVID-19 response by providing solar power to health centers and ensuring that the lack of electricity did not hamper the testing facilities.