CIL Navikarniya Urja, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Coal India, has invited bids to commission 35 MW of solar power projects along with the associated transmission system in Maharashtra.

Only empaneled engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors can participate in this tender.

The last day to submit the bids is December 8, 2023. Bids will be opened on December 11.

The projects will be implemented across 11 locations spanning three areas within Western Coalfields. Majri will house 23 MW, Wani (7 MW), and Chandrapur (5 MW).

The projects should be commissioned within 12 months of receiving the work order. The EPC contractor must oversee the project’s comprehensive operation and maintenance for ten years.

The estimated work cost for all the projects is ₹2.3 billion (~$27.6 million).

Bidders can apply for one, a combination, or all three areas. They must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹5 million (~$60,060) irrespective of bid offers.

The selected contractor must submit 5% of the contract amount within 21 days of issue of letter of acceptance.

Chandrapur projects’ first-year guaranteed generation must be 10.553 MU, degrading by 0.7% in subsequent years. Wani and Majri projects should have first-year generation at 14.955 MU and 49.210 MU, respectively. The degradation factor condition for all areas remains the same.

The capacity utilization factor for all areas must be 24.37% in the first year, degrading by 0.7% in subsequent years.

Bidders must submit the certificate of possessing a minimum working capital of 20% of the estimated project, including access to lines of credit and availability of other financial resources, to meet the project requirement.

The working capital requirement for Chandrapur is ₹6.54 million (~$78,555), for Wani, it is ₹9.25 million (~$111,107), and for Majri, it is ₹30.3 million (~$363,951). If bidding for a combination of projects or all, the working capital requirement will adjust based on the selected projects.

CIL has mandated using solar modules listed on the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

In February, CIL Navikarniya Urja invited bids to commission a 20 MW solar power project along with the associated transmission system in Jharkhand.

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