NTPC Limited has issued a tender to enlist engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) vendors for floating and ground-mounted solar projects in the country.

The scope of work includes the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, transportation, installation, and commissioning of the grid-connected projects on a turnkey basis. The successful bidder must also provide comprehensive operations and maintenance services for the projects for three years. The vendors would also carry out the topographical survey and geotechnical investigation of the land and bathymetry survey of the water body.

NTPC did not specify an earnest money deposit (EMD) for the tender. The projects must use open category photovoltaic modules and cells. Projects will be 50 MW of higher in capacity. The last date for the submission of bids is September 16, 2020.

To be eligible to take part in the competitive bidding process, applicants must have developed projects or executed similar work with a cumulative capacity of 40 MW or more. Of these, at least one project must have been over 10 MW in capacity and must have been operating successfully for at least six months before the last date for submitting applications.

Alternatively, applicants can have experience executing industrial projects either as a developer or EPC contractor in the areas of power, steel, oil and gas, petrochemical, fertilizer, cement, coal mining, or any other process industry. They must have completed at least one project worth ₹2 billion (~$27.4 million) or more in any of these fields, and it must have been in successful operation for at least a year before the application’s submission deadline.

Bidders are also expected to have an average annual turnover, not less than ₹2 billion (~$27.4 million) in the last three financial years. They must also have a net worth not less than 100% of its paid-up share capital as on the previous day of the last financial year.

Recently, NTPC invited bids from engineering, procurement, and construction contractors with land for the development of up to 1,070 MW of solar projects in Rajasthan.

In July, NTPC floated a request for proposal to acquire 1 GW of operational solar projects across India. Promoters, lenders, authorized financial intermediaries of power generation companies, independent power producers, and developers can participate in this tender.

The government-owned entity recently said it plans to get its shareholders’ approval to authorize the company’s board of directors to raise about ₹150 billion (~$2.05 billion) through the issue of bonds during its next annual general meeting.

Image credit: Jakson