Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL) has invited a notice inviting tender for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a 45 MW grid-connected solar project near Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) substation at Badeli in the Bhavnagar district.

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 estimated cost of the project is`₹1.8 billion (~$23.20 million).

The last day to submit the bids is June 6, 2022. Bids will be opened on June 13.

Bidders must submit ₹18 million (~$232,003) as an earnest money deposit. The successful bidder must also furnish 5% of the contract value as a security deposit cum performance bank guarantee within seven days from the date of issue of work. The successful bidder must also submit 5% of the O&M cost as an O&M bank guarantee.

The scope of work will also include 66 kV underground cable or overhead linework from the solar project to the GETCO substation and construction, erection, testing, and commissioning of the complete 66 kV bay and bus bar extension at the substation.

The successful bidder must 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.

Bidders should have designed, supplied, erected, and commissioned grid-connected solar power projects with a 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. Before the techno-commercial bid opening, the reference project should have been in operation for at least six months.

The bidders’ cumulative turnover for the last three financial years should be at least ₹1.26 billion (~$16.24 million). They 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 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 under 60 days, ₹25,000 (~$328)/MW/day will be charged as liquidated damages. If the project is delayed by more than 60 days, the damages will be ₹35,000 (~$459)/MW/day.

The 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 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.