Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) has issued a request for selection (RfS) for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors to install and commission a 16 MW grid-connected solar power project at Mora in Surat district near the substation of Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO).

The project’s estimated cost is ₹640 million (~$8.43 million).

The scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacture, supply and procurement, erection, testing, and commissioning of the project. The selected developer will have to take care of the project’s operation and maintenance (O&M) for five years after commissioning the project.

The project must be completed within 12 months of the issue of notice to proceed.

The last day to submit the bids is April 6, 2022. The bids will be opened on April 12.

Bidders must submit ₹6.4 million (~$84,260) as an earnest money deposit.  The successful bidder must also furnish 5% of the contract value as a security deposit cum performance bank guarantee (PBG) within seven days from the date of issue of work.

The scope of work will also include 66 KV underground cable or overhead line work from solar project to GETCO 66 KV substation and construction, erection, testing, and commissioning of complete 66 KV bay and bus bar extension at the substation. The successful bidder must also install an availability-based tariff meter to measure net power evacuation at the 66 KV substation and the solar project. Four units of three-phase plus one spare cable is required for the project.

The bidder should have designed, supplied, erected, and commissioned grid-connected solar power projects of cumulative installed capacity of 20% or higher than their bid capacity. At least one commissioned project should have been 5% or higher than the total bid capacity. The reference project should have been in successful operation for at least six months before the techno-commercial bid opening.

The cumulative turnover of the bidder for the last three financial years should be at least ₹448 million (~$5.89 million), and the bidder must have a positive net worth during the last financial year.

If the successful bidder delays the commissioning of the project by 30 days, ₹15,000 (~$197)/MW/day will be charged as liquidated damages. The liquidated damages will be proportionate to the capacity not commissioned by the commercial operation date.

If the project is delayed by more than 30 days but in less than 60 days, ₹25,000 (~$328)/MW/day will be charged as liquidated damages. If the project is delayed by more than 60 days, the liquidity damages will be ₹35,000 (~$459)/MW/day.

The upper ceiling for total liquidated damages for delay will be 10% of the contract value.

GSECL has also invited bids from engineering, procurement, and construction contractors to develop 30 MW of solar projects in the state’s Amreli, Rajkot, and Surendranagar districts.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, GSECL has issued EPC tenders for 1.8 GW of solar capacity to date.