REMCL, a joint venture of the Indian Railways and RITES Limited, has invited bids to develop 210 MW of grid-connected solar projects under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category on vacant railway land.

The scope of work includes design, engineering, supply, packing, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of grid-connected solar projects on a turnkey basis under the DCR category on vacant railway land parcels, along with maintenance of the project for ten years.

The last date to submit the bids is October 21, 2021, and bids will be opened on the same day.

To participate in the bidding process, the bidder should have designed, supplied, erected, commissioned, and supervised the commissioning of at least one solar project of a minimum value of 35% of the offered capacity in MW. The reference solar project must have been in successful operation for at least six years before the bid opening date. If the bidder has offered more than one package with different capacities, then the bidder must have executed at least one solar project of at least 35% of the highest capacity among the offered package capacity.

Alternatively, the bidder should have executed in the last ten years an industrial project either as a developer or as an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor in the area of power, steel, oil and gas, petrochemical, fertilizer, cement, coal mining, including coal handling plant and any other process industry of a value of ₹38.5 million (~$517,865)/MW of the offered capacity. The project should have been in successful operation for at least one year before the bid opening date.

Bidder should have executed at least one electrical substation of 33 kV or above voltage, consisting of equipment such as 33 kV or above voltage circuit breakers and power transformer, either as a developer or as an EPC contractor, which should have been in successful operation for at least one year before the bid opening date.

The bidder’s average annual turnover should be ₹38.5 million (~$517,865)/MW of the offered package or more during the last three financial years as on the bid opening date. The net worth of the bidder as on the last day of the previous financial year should not be less than 100% of the bidder’s paid-up share capital.

In May this year, REMCL invited bids to develop a 15 MW solar project with a 7 MW/14 MWh battery energy storage system on railway land at Butibori in Nagpur.

Earlier in June last year, REMCL had published the tender details for 400 MW of grid-connected solar projects on vacant railway lands in the country.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, REMCL has tendered nearly 3 GW of solar capacity as of date.