The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has issued tender inviting applications from eligible vendors for the enlistment of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) bidders to develop floating or ground-mounted solar PV projects between 10-50 MW capacity.

This tender calls for single stage single envelope, which implies that the bidder will have to submit both the price and technical proposals at the same time. The deadline for the submission of applications is July 24, 2019.

According to the NTPC, the scope of work includes the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing, and forwarding of the materials. The tender adds that the successful bidder is also expected to take the responsibility of transportation, uploading, storage, installation, and commissioning of the grid-connected projects on turnkey basis.

Further, the bidders should provide comprehensive operation and maintenance services for the projects, along with the transmission system, for three years from the date of the successful completion of the trial run.

The successful bidders should also have executed an industrial project worth at least ₹400 million (~$5.8 million) either as a developer or as an EPC contractor in the last ten years. Moreover, the bidder should also have executed at least one electrical sub-station of not less than 33 kV.

As per the technical criteria, the NTPC has made it mandatory that the bidder should have designed, supplied, installed, and commissioned projects with a cumulative installed capacity of 8 MW or higher, out of which at least one project should have been of 2 MW or more.

The bidder must also be a developer of SPV-based grid-connected power projects of a cumulative installed capacity of at least 8 MW to participate in this tender.

Although the average annual turnover of the bidder hasn’t been mentioned, the financial criteria state that the bidder’s net worth shouldn’t be less than 100% of its paid-up share capital.

Earlier this year, the NTPC had floated a similar tender in which it invited applications for the enlistment of EPC bidders for the development of solar power projects. The tender also called for the development of 50 MW or more of floating or ground-mounted solar PV project on a turnkey basis.

Mercom had also reported that NTPC is in search for EPC contractors to set up 1 GW of grid-connected solar photovoltaic projects under Phase-II Tranche-I of the Central Public Sector undertaking (CPSU) program.

Image credit: Grendelkhan [CC BY-SA 4.0]

Anjana is a news editor at Mercom India. Before joining Mercom, she held roles of senior editor, district correspondent, and sub-editor for The Times of India, Biospectrum and The Sunday Guardian. Before that, she worked at the Deccan Herald and the Asianlite as chief sub-editor and news editor. She has also contributed to The Quint, Hindustan Times, The New Indian Express, Reader’s Digest (UK edition), IndiaSe (Singapore-based magazine) and Asiaville. Anjana holds a Master’s degree in Geography from North Bengal University, and a diploma in mass communication and journalism from Guru Ghasidas University, Bhopal.