The Cochin Port Trust (CPT) has invited bids for setting up 1.5 MW (two projects of 0.75 MW) of grid-connected floating solar power projects at the port’s walkway avenue between BOT junction and Kannangatt bridge.

The contract will also include the operation and maintenance (O&M) services for 25 years under the renewable energy service company (RESCO) model. The scope of work includes the design, engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of the 1.5 MW of floating solar projects in the backwaters near the walkway avenue.

The last date for the submission of bids is June 20, 2020, and the pre-bid meeting will take place on May 30, 2020. Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹1.35 million (~$17,859) as the earnest money deposit (EMD), and the successful bidder will have to submit an amount of ₹6.75 million (~$89,296) as the performance security bid after the issuance of the Letter of Award (LoA).

As per the document, the maximum allowed levelized tariff for 25 years under the RESCO model is ₹3.97 (~$0.053)/kWh. The time period for the completion of the project has been set as eight months.

Regarding the technical criteria, the bidder should have completed similar projects in the last seven years ending on April 30, 2020. The bidder should have completed three similar projects, with each costing at least ₹27 million (~$357,185) or should have an installed capacity of 0.60 MW. It could also qualify with two projects with each not less than ₹33.8 million (~$447,143) or 0.75 MW capacity, or one project of at least ₹54 million (~$714,371) or 1.2 MW.

The financial eligibility criterion says that the average financial turnover of the bidder should not be less than ₹29.3 million (~$387,612) in the last three financial years ending March 31, 2019.

Cochin Port Trust has been focusing on sustainable solar power to meet its energy requirements. Before this, it floated a tender for the development of a 350 kW grid-connected rooftop solar PV project at its premises.

Previously, it also invited bids for both rooftop and floating solar power projects at its premises. The area available for the installation of the solar project is around 14,000 square meters, considering both rooftops and water bodies, and it is expected to generate ~1.2 MW of power. The proposed solar power project is to be installed on both the rooftop of residential buildings and water bodies, as identified by the bidder.