NHDC, a joint venture between the Government of Madhya Pradesh and NHPC, has issued a notice inviting tender (NIT) for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of an 8 MW ground-mounted solar photovoltaic project at Sanchi in the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh.

The selected bidder will also be responsible for the evacuation arrangement up to the distribution company’s (DISCOM) substation and the project’s comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) for five years.

The last date to submit the bids is October 11, 2022. Bids will be opened on October 12.

The tender was issued under the component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) program as per the request for proposals (RfP) invited by Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (MPUVNL).

MPUVNL issued the RfP in April this year to set up the project under KUSUM-C, wherein power from the projects would be procured by the Madhya Pradesh Power Management Company Limited (MPPMCL). NHDC won the bid to develop the project in August this year.

The projects must be connected to the selected 33/ 11 kV substation close to Sanchi, while the substation must have at least one dedicated agricultural feeder and one non-agricultural feeder.

The estimated cost of the tender is ₹433 million (~$5.47 million). Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹6.5 million (~$82,116). The successful bidder will have to furnish a performance bank guarantee equivalent to 3% of the contract price within 28 days of receiving the letter of award.

The scope of work includes evacuating the generated power terminated at the DISCOM’s substation through overhead transmission lines.

The successful bidder must complete the project’s construction, design, and commissioning within seven months from the award.

To qualify, bidders must have either been developers or have designed, supplied, erected, and commissioned solar photovoltaic-based grid-connected power projects of 4 MW cumulative installed capacity or higher, out of which at least one project should have been of 1 MW at a single location.

The winning bidder must have a minimum average annual turnover of ₹1.48 billion (~$18.7 million) in the last three years. The net worth of the successful bidder on the closing day of any three financial years out of the last five years must be positive.

The working capital of the winning bidder must be at least two times the monthly cash flow requirement, i.e., ₹123.7 million (~$1.57 million).

In June this year, NHDC invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction of an 88 MW (Unit-D) floating solar project at the Omkareshwar reservoir in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

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