Bihar State Power Generation Company (BSPGCL) has invited bids to set up a 185 MW grid-connected solar power project with a 254 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Kajra village of the Lakhisarai district in Bihar.

The scope of work includes surveying, design, engineering, procurement, supply, installation, erection, construction, and commissioning of the project on a turnkey engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) basis.

The battery energy storage system must be set up to deliver a maximum power of 45.4 MW for 4 hours.

Out of total solar power generation, 80% of power must be directly injected/evacuated to the grid, and 20% of power will be used for the purpose of BESS charging.

The selected contractor will also be responsible for a ten-year operation and maintenance (O&M) commitment.

The last date for the submission of bids is January 4, 2024. Bids will be opened the same day.

Bidders must submit a non-refundable tender fee of ₹29,500 (~$355.3) and an earnest money deposit of ₹182.6 million (~$2.1 million).

The selected bidder is required to submit a performance bank guarantee cum O&M bank guarantee as 10% of the EPC contract price, inclusive of all taxes and GST, for the first year of O&M.

Subsequently, the bidder should submit the O&M Bank Guarantee as 5% of the EPC contract price, inclusive of all taxes and GST, from the start of the second year of O&M, with a validity of nine years within 30 days from the commencement of the second year of the O&M period.

The selected developer must commission the project within 18 months of receiving the letter of award.

BSPGCL retains the sole discretion to engage a project management consultancy (PMC) or third-party inspection agency (TPI) for comprehensive inspections throughout the project’s lifecycle, covering procurement, fabrication, installation, hook-up, quality, execution, commissioning, and operation and maintenance.

The bidder should have experience designing, supplying, and overseeing the erection or commissioning of solar photo voltaic (SPV) grid-connected power projects. The cumulative capacity of these projects should be 250 MW within the last ten years.

The bidder should meet one of the following criteria:

• At least one project of 150 MW capacity or higher.
• At least two projects, each of 110 MW capacity or higher.
• At least three projects, each of 75 MW capacity or higher.

Additionally, they must have experience in completing or currently undertaking the design, engineering, procurement, testing, and commissioning of grid-connected BESS projects with individual capacities of 5 MW/MWh or above.

Alternatively, the bidder should own and operate a manufacturing facility for lithium-ion or superior battery technologies with a capacity of 500 MWh or more, operational at the time of bidding.

The reference grid-connected solar power project and BESS may be located at the same or different sites. The reference project’s minimum capacity must have been in successful operation for at least 12 months before the bid opening date.

The bidder must demonstrate a cumulative turnover of at least ₹13.5 billion (~$162.5 million) over the past three financial years.

The bidder’s net worth for the last financial year should be positive, determined by the formula: Net Worth = (Equity + Reserves) – (Revaluation reserves + intangible assets + miscellaneous expenses not written off + carried forward losses).

In May last year, BSPGCL invited bids to select consultants to develop 200 to 250 MW solar projects with battery energy storage systems in Bihar.

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