Coal India Limited (CIL) has invited bids for the empanelment of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors for ground-mounted and floating solar power projects being developed by it and its subsidiaries.

Apart from the design, engineering, testing, supply, transportation, storage, installation, and commissioning of grid-connected floating or ground-mounted solar projects, the work would also include comprehensive maintenance for five years.

The EPC-cum-O&M contractors will be empanelled for two different categories based on the capacity of the solar projects as per the following:

• Category I: Up to 100 MW
• Category II: Above 100 MW

The last date to submit the bids is December 17, 2020, and the bids will be opened on December 18, 2020. As per the tender documents, the empanelment will be valid for two years from the date of empanelment. To participate in the competitive bidding process, the bidder should have been in existence for a minimum period of three financial years.

For Category I, the bidder should have successfully designed and commissioned or supervised the commissioning of grid-connected solar power projects of cumulative capacity of 60 MW or higher in the last five years. Out of these, one project should have been of at least 10 MW installed at a single location. The reference project of 10 MW should have been in successful operation for at least six months before the last date of submission of the application for empanelment.

Similarly, for Category II, the bidder should have commissioned or supervised commissioning of grid-connected solar power projects of cumulative installed capacity of 150 MW or higher in the last five financial years, out of which at least one project should have been of 50 MW or more installed at a single location. The reference project of 50 MW must have been in successful operation for at least six months before the last date of submission of application for empanelment.

Regarding the financial criteria, the bidder’s average annual turnover during the last three financial years must be at least ₹4.5 billion (~$32.5 million). The net worth of the bidder in each of the previous three financial years should be positive.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, CIL has so far tendered 300 MW of utility-scale solar power projects.

Recently, CIL announced that it would invest ₹56.50 billion (~$763 million) by March 2024 to develop 14 solar power projects to help power its mining operations. The state-owned company will fund nearly two-thirds of the total capacity of 3 GW of rooftop and ground-mounted solar projects. The company would enter into a joint venture with the NLC India Limited and fund the rest of its solar expansion plans.

In November last year, CIL invited expressions of interest to set up a 100 MW solar pilot project in Chhattisgarh for captive consumption to meet its solar target set by the government.

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