The Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has invited bids to appoint a consultant for a detailed feasibility survey for a greenfield solar project and green hydrogen and ammonia plant in Odisha.

The last date to submit bids is February 18, 2022. Bids will be opened on the same day. The pre-bid meeting will take place on February 8.

Scope of work

 Solar projects

The consultancy firm must provide essential due diligence of the land identified (tentatively 1,000 acres) for solar projects. The scope of work includes collecting, verifying, and evaluating solar radiation resource data and local meteorological data and calculating energy yield based on direct and diffused solar radiation. The successful bidder must also provide a preliminary assessment for the suitability of wind power projects and estimated generation potential.

The consultancy firm must provide technical evaluation and comparison of different solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies, estimated project capital cost, operation costs, and power production costs.

To participate in the competitive bidding process, bidders must have completed at least one feasibility or techno-commercial study for at least 50 MW of solar capacity in the last five years.

Green hydrogen and ammonia

 For green hydrogen and ammonia projects, the consultant must provide a demand-supply assessment of hydrogen and ammonia in Odisha and its neighbor states. The firm should give details on the existing infrastructure available in Odisha to export green hydrogen ammonia and raw materials. The survey report should also include information on the feasibility of developing required infrastructure, including storage tanks, pipelines, distribution depots, and port facilities.

The successful bidder should also provide technology options for setting up projects and a list of technology licensors.

The consultants must assess the potential for exports to the other countries based on the desktop study. They should indicate how much green hydrogen and green ammonia will replace their conventional uses. Consultant to also provide projected demand and supply forecast for the next 15 years.

For the green ammonia project, bidders must have conducted at least one feasibility or techno-commercial study for a green ammonia project with a minimum capacity of 200 metric tons/day in the last five years. For green hydrogen projects, they should have completed at least one feasibility study in the previous five years.

Financial criteria

Bidders do not need to furnish any earnest money deposit (EMD) for this tender. However, the successful bidder must provide 50% of the contract value as a performance bank guarantee within 15 days from the date of the letter of acceptance.

Bidders’ annual turnover should be ₹9.55 million (~$127,873) in any of the last three financial years.

In November 2021, GAIL issued an expression of interest to select partners for setting up an electrolyzer manufacturing facility to produce green hydrogen.

Mercom had earlier reported that GAIL issued a notice to empanel solar engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors and operation and maintenance (O&M) service providers.