The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has invited bids for a solar inverter package of 23 MW for a solar power project at Solapur in Maharashtra.

The scope of work includes the supply of string and central inverters of total capacity 23 MW at 50 deg unity power factor and 23 MVA at 40 deg ambient with 0.95 pf at NTPC Solapur in Maharashtra.

The last date for the submission of bids is April 07, 2020, and the last date for the receipt of queries from the prospective bidders is March 24, 2020.

Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹500,000 (~$6,716) as the bid security deposit along with the bids.

To take part in the bidding process, the bidder should have designed, manufactured, and supplied grid-connected solar inverters of a cumulative capacity of 18 MW or more, out of which at least one supply order for a single project should be of at least 5 MW.

Similarly, any bidder who has supplied grid-connected solar inverters of at least 18 MW, out of which at least one single project is of 5 MW, will also be eligible to take part in the bidding process.

Regarding the financial criteria, the average annual turnover of the bidder should not be less than ₹32.7 million (~$439,250) during the last three years. The net worth of the bidder on the last day of the preceding financial year should not be less than 100% of the bidder’s paid-up share capital.

If the bidder is not able to satisfy the net worth criteria on its own, it can meet the requirement of the net worth based on the strength of its subsidiaries or holding companies or subsidiaries of its holding companies. The net worth of the bidder and its subsidiaries or holding company or subsidiaries of the holding company should not be less than 100% of the total paid-up share capital. However, individually, the net worth should not be less than 75% of their respective paid-up share capital.

Recently, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) issued a notification which states that the deadline for the self-certification of solar inverters has once again been extended by six months from December 31, 2019, to June 30, 2020. Realizing the need for quality components in solar projects, the government had mandated that laboratories must conduct the tests for compulsory registration with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for the implementation of the quality order.

Meanwhile, NTPC recently concluded the auction process for 1,000 MW of solar projects under the Develop Build Demonstrate (DBDT) program. Capacities have been awarded to Tata Power Solar (300 MW), Jakson Limited and Larsen & Toubro Limited (L&T) (150 MW). Tata Power Solar was the lowest bidder with an EPC quote of ₹19.2 million (~$271,089).

In December last year, NTPC invited bids for 500 MW of grid-connected solar projects under an engineering, procurement, and construction package in the state of Maharashtra. The projects under this tender could range anywhere between 100 MW and 500 MW. The scope of work included the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packaging, forwarding, transportation, installation, and commissioning of the projects on a turnkey basis.

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