The Indian Railways has invited bids to develop a 1 MW rooftop solar project at a facility in the Central Railway’s Nagpur Division.

The project will be implemented through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and follow the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model.

The successful bidder will also be responsible for operating and maintaining the systems for 25 years after the projects have been commissioned.

The last date for the submission of bids is May 8, 2023. Bids will open on the same day.

The bid will be valid for 180 days starting from the date of the opening of the techno-commercial bid.

Bidders must deposit an earnest money deposit of ₹2 million (~$24,399), refundable not later than 60 days from the bid due date.

The successful bidder must furnish the Performance Bank Guarantee after the Railways issue the Letter of Acceptance.

The generated solar power will be utilized solely by Railways through a net metering system.

Bidders must apply for a minimum of 100% of the contracted capacity for the selected site.

The selected solar power developer will be accountable for the design, engineering, procurement, erection (including civil and structural works), installation, testing, and commissioning of the solar PV systems.

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has set a maximum subsidy of 15% of the total project cost or the MNRE benchmark cost of ₹80 million (~$976,152) per MW, whichever is lower, for grid-connected rooftop projects at various Railway locations.

The subsidy will be disbursed according to MNRE guidelines. If the project fails to generate power continuously for one year or its major assets are sold or dismantled within 25 years, Railways have the right to get a refund of the subsidy on a pro-rata basis.

If the project developer does not pay, Railways may claim assets equal to the value of the subsidy released, also on a pro-rata basis.

Recently, South Eastern Railway invited bids for state-wise empanelment of agencies for the implementation of rooftop solar projects of 2.3447 MW in Odisha and 1.4738 MW in Jharkhand.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker for timely updates on all solar tenders issued by various agencies in India.