The Central Electronics Limited (CEL) has invited bids for 1,707 grid-connected solar pumps under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) program’s component C.

The solar pumps will be installed under the Jaipur distribution company (DISCOM), and the contract will also include comprehensive maintenance for five years.

The tenders have been floated for zones Tonk-1 and Tonk-2.  The details are given below:

In Tonk-1 Zone, 876 pumps are to be solarized, whereas Tonk-2 would see 831 solarized pumps.

The last date for the submission of bids is September 18, 2020, for the Tonk-1 zone and September 19, 2020, for Tonk-2.

Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹1,000,000 (~$13,644) as the earnest money deposit (EMD).

The solar modules will be supplied by CEL at the centralized location in Rajasthan, as decided by CEL. The number of solar pumps may be increased by 50% or decreased as required by the DISCOM. The installation of solar pumps is to be completed within eight months from the date of the purchase order. To take part in the bidding process, the bidder should be a single bidder or a consortium of up to two members.  The bidder should have experience of supply, installation, and maintenance of grid-connected off-grid solar power systems during the last five years. The work should have been executed for any government department, public sector undertaking (PSU), listed company, or a registered cooperative society with a value of at least ₹67 million (~$914,189). In the case of a consortium, both parties should jointly meet the eligibility criteria.

The bidder should have a positive net worth for each of the last three financial years. The minimum average annual turnover of the bidder in the best three of the previous five financial years should be at least ₹67 million (~$914,189).

Recently, MNRE released amendments to the guidelines for the implementation of Component C of the PM-KUSUM program. Under Component C of the KUSUM program, the government aims to solarize one million grid-connected agriculture pumps of individual capacity up to 7.5 HP by 2022.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the guidelines for the PM KUSUM program with the following components:

• Component A: Set up 10 GW of decentralized ground-mounted grid-connected solar projects of individual projects, up to 2 MW
• Component B: Install 1.75 million standalone solar-powered agriculture pumps of individual capacity up to 7.5 HP
• Component C: Solarize 1 million grid-connected agriculture pumps of individual capacity up to 7.5 HP

Earlier, Mercom reported that CEL had invited bids for the empanelment of manufactures of solar water pumps in tenders under the KUSUM program.

 

Image credit: JREDA