Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has invited bids from engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors to set up a 12 MW grid-connected ground-mounted solar power project with associated systems, including the power evacuation system at the Koderma Thermal Power Station in Jharkhand.

The successful bidder will also have to take care of operation and maintenance (O&M) activities for five years.

The project’s estimated cost is ₹582.68 million (~$7.74 million).

The last date to submit the bids is February 28, 2022. Bids will be opened on March 1.

Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹5.826 million (~$77,422) as an earnest money deposit.

To participate in the bidding process, the bidder should have designed, supplied, erected, commissioned, grid-connected solar power projects of cumulative installed capacity of 12 MW or higher, out of which one project should have been of 3 MW or higher capacity. The reference project should have been in successful operation for at least six months as of the bid submission date.

Alternatively, the bidder should be a developer of grid-connected solar power projects of cumulative installed capacity of 12 MW or higher capacity, out of which at least one project should have been of 3 MW or higher capacity. The reference project of 3 MW or higher capacity must have been in successful operation for at least six months before the bid submission date.

The reference project of 3 MW or higher capacity should be at a single location developed by the bidder or any other client.

The net working capital or access to credit facilities as of the bid submission date should not be less than ₹776.91 million (~$10.34 million). The net worth of the bidder as on the last day of the preceding financial year should not be less than 100% of the paid-up share capital.

DVC has stated that preference will be given to the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which would promote the manufacturing and production of goods and services in India to enhance income and employment.

The minimum local content for a ‘Class-I Local Supplier’ should be 50%, and the minimum local content for ‘Class-II Local Supplier’ should be 20%.

If the contractor fails to successfully achieve the commissioning of the project within nine months from the issuance of the notification of award, they will have to pay a sum of ₹33,526 per day per MW for each day of delay in the un-commissioned portion of work in MW until the commissioning of the entire project, subject to a maximum of 5% of the total contract price.

Recently, DVC invited bids from consultancy firms for a detailed topographical and contour survey of 200 acres to develop solar photovoltaic projects in and around thermal power stations across the valley area.

Earlier, DVC had issued a tender for setting up 50 MW of grid-connected solar projects.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, DVC has so far issued tenders for 50.2 MW of solar power projects.