NTPC Limited has invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of up to 300 MW of grid-connected solar photovoltaic projects along with land in Gujarat.

The public sector undertaking did not specify an earnest money deposit for the tender. The last date for the submission of bids is March 16, 2021.

The scope of work includes the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, installation, and commissioning of the grid-connected solar power projects in the state. Selected bidders are expected to take care of grid connectivity up to the state transmission utility substations of 66 kV or above. They must also provide operations and maintenance services for three years.

The individual project capacity must be at least 25 MW or higher in multiples of 5 MW. Bidders are expected to quote bids for at least 50 MW up to a maximum of 300 MW. Only open category photovoltaic cells and modules must be used for the project.

To be eligible to participate in the competitive bidding process, applicants must have previously designed, supplied, and commissioned solar projects with a cumulative capacity of at least 40 MW. At least one of these projects must be 10 MW or larger and have been operational for the last six months. Solar project developers who meet these requirements are also allowed to place bids.

Alternatively, bidders who have executed industrial projects worth ₹2.1 billion (~$28.9 million) as an engineering, procurement, and construction contractor or a developer in the power, steel, oil, gas, petrochemical, fertilizer, cement, or coal mining sectors in the last ten years are eligible to apply. Bidders must have executed at least one 33 kV electrical substation in the last year.

NTPC had won 200 MW of projects in the state in December 2020 in an auction conducted by the Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited for 500 MW of solar projects (Phase XI). The auction saw a record low tariff of ₹1.99 (~$0.027)/kWh, quoted by NTPC, Torrent Power, Al Jomiah Energy, and Aditya Renewables.

Previously, Tata Power Solar Systems Limited and Ashoka Buildcon won 470 MW of solar projects in NTPC’s EPC auction for 1,070 MW of solar projects.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, NTPC has issued 2,345.5 MW of EPC tenders. As of January 2021, EPC tenders of 173 MW were issued in Gujarat.

NTPC has installed 1,083 MW of solar, wind, and small hydropower projects so far and plans to add 16.5 GW of renewables between 2022-27, the Union Power Minister, R.K. Singh, informed the Rajya Sabha recently.