The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) has invited bids for the development of a 10 MW (2 x 5 MW) small hydroelectric project in Lodhama in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract basis.

Apart from the design, engineering, supply, erection, testing, and commissioning of the project, the successful bidder will also have to take care of the project’s operation and maintenance for two years.

The project’s estimated cost is ₹510.4 million (~$6.9 million). Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹1.5 million (~$20,469) as the earnest money deposit (EMD).

The last date to submit the bids is February 19, 2021. The bids will be opened on February 23, 2021.

The project’s construction should be completed within 30 months from the date of the handing over of the site.

To participate in the competitive bidding process, the bidder should have experience of executing at least one hydropower project having installed capacity of 5 MW under the EPC mode in the last 25 years or two hydro projects of 4 MW capacity each in the previous 25 years or three hydro projects of 3 MW capacity each in the last 25 years.

Under option two, the bidder should have the experience of executing water resource projects of the aggregate contract value of ₹252.4 million (~$3.4 million) or more in the last 25 years.

Under option three, the bidder should have experience in executing an electro-mechanical contract for a hydro project of the aggregate contract value of ₹252.2 million (~$3.4 million) in the last 25 years.

Under option four, the bidder should have experience in executing government infrastructure projects in hilly regions with an aggregate contract value of ₹252.2 million (~$3.4 million) in the last seven years.

The bidder’s average annual turnover in the last three financial years should not be less than 30% of the project cost. The bidder’s net worth in each of the previous three financial years should be positive. The bidder’s working capital in the last year preceding the bid submission year should not be less than 15% of the estimated project cost.

In September this year, WBSEDCL invited bids for setting up a 10 MW grid-connected floating solar project at Sagardighi thermal power project in Murshidabad. The scope of work included the design, engineering, manufacture, procurement, supply, installation, and commissioning of the 10 MW floating solar power project on a turnkey basis.

Earlier, the International Hydropower Association (IHA) released its 2020 Hydropower Status Report, which noted that India overtook Japan as the fifth largest hydropower generator globally with an installed capacity of 50.07 GW.

Previously, Mercom reported that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) had approved a proposal from the Ministry of Power to consider large hydropower projects over 25 MW as renewable energy projects. In a statement, the CCEA had said, “Separate hydropower purchase obligation (HPO) for large hydropower projects commissioned after the notification of the measures would be issued.”

According to Mercom India Research, renewable power installations (excluding large hydro projects) held a 24.2% share of the country’s overall power mix and stood at about 90.6 GW as of September 30, 2020. In terms of market share, solar power held about 9.9%, wind power held around 10.2%, bio-power held 2.7%, small hydropower held 1.3%, and waste-to-power projects held a meager 0.05% share.