NHPC has invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for a 100 MW grid-connected solar project along with associated power evacuation infrastructure in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The successful bidder will also have to take care of comprehensive operation and maintenance activities for five years.

The last date to submit the bids online is May 05, 2021, and bids will be opened on May 12.

To participate in the bidding process, the bidder should have designed, supplied, erected, and commissioned grid-connected solar power projects of cumulative installed capacity of 40 MW or higher as an EPC contractor or developer, out of which at least one project should have been of 10 MW or higher capacity. The reference project of 10 MW or higher capacity should have been in successful operation for at least six months before the last date of bid submission.

Alternatively, the bidder should have executed in the last ten years an industrial project either as a developer or an EPC contractor in the area of power, steel, oil and gas, petrochemicals, fertilizer, coal mining, or any other process industry of a value of ₹2 billion (~$27.42 million) or more in a single project. The project should have been in successful operation for at least one year before the last date of bid submission.

The bidder should have executed at least one electric substation of 33kV or above voltage level consisting of equipment such as 33 kV or above voltage level circuit breakers and power transformer, either as a developer or an EPC contractor which should have been in successful operation for at least one year prior to the last date of bid submission.

Regarding the financial criteria, the bidder’s average annual turnover should not be less than ₹5.89 billion (~$80.77 million) during the last three financial years. The bidder’s net worth as of the previous financial year’s last date should not be less than 100% of the paid-up share capital. The bidder’s working capital should be at least ₹655 million (~$8.98 million).

In January this year, NHPC invited bids to develop a 100 MW interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected ground-mounted solar power project at the ultra-mega renewable energy power park in the Koppal district of Karnataka.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, NHPC has so far floated 477 MW of EPC tenders for solar projects.

Mercom’s premium event Mercom India Solar Summit, to be held virtually on April 8 and 9, has an exclusive session on ‘Tenders and Auctions – From Pipeline to PPAs, How We Get There.’ You can click here to register for the event.