Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL) has invited bids from consultancy firms to conduct a feasibility study and prepare a detailed project report (DPR) to develop a 70-90 MW floating solar project in the Karimganj district of the state.

The last date to submit the bids is March 25, 2022. Bids will be opened on the same day.

Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹30,000 (~$398.97) as bid security to participate in the bidding process.

The successful bidder must also submit a performance bank guarantee equivalent to 10% of the value of work immediately on the issue of the work order.

APGCL plans to set up a 70-90 MW floating solar project at Sonbeel lake. Sonbeel is the second-largest freshwater lake in Asia. APGCL wants to conduct a feasibility study to ascertain the most suitable area out of the entire wetland of Sonbeel for setting up the project because a certain portion of the Sonbeel area dries up in the winter season. The scope of work further expands to environmental analysis, project cost, and maintenance cost estimation.

To participate in the tender process, the bidder must have experience providing consultancy services to prepare DPR of at least three or more solar projects (ground-mounted or floating) of capacity, not less than 10 MW each in the last seven years.

Out of the three projects, one project should be a floating solar project of capacity not less than 10 MW which should have been successfully commissioned or under execution.

The bidder’s annual turnover should be at least ₹10 million (~$132,991) in any of the last three financial years as of the bid submission date. If the bidding company has been operating for less than three years since incorporation, the average annual turnover should be ₹7.5 million (~$99,743).

The bidder’s net worth should be positive for the last three financial years.

The delay in achieving the milestone for reasons attributable to the consultant will lead to the imposition of liquidated damage at the rate of 1% of work value per week of delay, subject to a maximum of 10% of the work value.

Last February, APGCL had floated a tender for 25 MW of grid-connected solar projects at the Namrup Thermal Power Station. The scope of work included the design, engineering, procurement, supply, transportation, unloading, site development, construction, erection, installation, testing, and commissioning of the project.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, the APGCL has so far floated tenders for 95 MW of solar photovoltaic projects.