The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has floated a tender to set up  grid-connected rooftop solar projects with a cumulative capacity of 2.93 MW at 42 stations, service buildings, and 204 level crossings in the Rangiya railway division in Assam.

The last date to submit the bids is September 27, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The tender has an advertised value of ₹132.90 million (~$1.58 million).

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹814,500 (~$9,712).

The project must be completed within six months.

The scope of work covers the supply, design, installation, testing, and commissioning of different capacity grid-connected rooftop solar projects consisting of monocrystalline panels, inverters with web-based remote monitoring systems including SIM with five years net connectivity, fixing structure, and other accessories. The successful bidder would also be responsible for the project’s operation and maintenance (O&M) for five years.

Bidders must have a minimum average annual contractual turnover of V/N or V, whichever is less, where V=Advertised value of the tender in crores of rupees N= Number of years prescribed for completion of work for which bids have been invited.
Their average annual contractual turnover will be calculated as an average of ‘total contractual payments’ in the previous three financial years.

Bidders should have completed at least one of the following during the last seven years:

• Three similar works, each costing not less than the amount equal to 30% of the advertised value of the tender
• Two similar works, each costing not less than the amount equal to 40% of the advertised value of the tender
• One similar work costing not less than the amount equal to 60% of the advertised value of the tender

For 1 MW solar projects and above, bidders must have their local service centers set up at Katihar, New-Jalpaiguri or Siliguri, New-Coochbehar or New-Alipurduar, New-Bongaigaon, Guwahati, Dibrugarh or Tinsukia or Jorhat, Agartala or Silchar along with trained technicians.

Besides work experience certificates issued by a government organization, work experience certificates issued by a publicly listed company having an average annual turnover of ₹5 billion (~$59.63 million) and above in the last three financial years excluding the current financial year will be considered.

Bidders must meet a minimum guaranteed generation of 15% Capacity Utilization Factor (CUF) for the five-year O&M period. The annual CUF will not be less than 15%. If the generation is less than 15% for any financial year, then liquidated damages at ₹0.25/kWh (~$0.003)/kWh will be deducted for the shortfall in energy generation.

Recently, the Western Railway floated a tender to install 1.1 MW rooftop solar systems at various locations in Bhavnagar.

In August, the North Western Railway issued a tender for a cumulative capacity of 2.748 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems at platform shelters and station buildings in Jaipur.