NTPC has invited bids for two years of operation and maintenance (O&M) of its 20 MW solar project at the Jhanor Gandhar Gas Power Plant in the Bharuch district of Gujarat.

The project is connected to the grid through a 220 kV system. The estimated cost of the contract is ₹27.85 million (~$299,700), including 18% goods and services tax.

Bids must be submitted by June 29, 2026. Bids will be opened on the same day.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹200,000 (~$2,200). The successful bidder must furnish performance security equivalent to 5% of the contract value.

The scope of work includes shift operations, preventive and breakdown maintenance, module cleaning, supervisory control and data acquisition monitoring, testing, reporting, housekeeping, statutory compliance support, safety management, and reliable operation up to the power evacuation point.

The project spans approximately 105 acres. The contractor must maintain safe site access, control grass and vegetation growth, and manage snake and insect populations throughout the year.

Bidders must have either executed the installation and commissioning of a grid-connected solar project of at least 4 MW during the last seven years or provided O&M services for a grid-connected solar project of 4 MW or higher capacity for a continuous period of at least one year during the same period.

They must also have executed supply, erection, commissioning, maintenance, or O&M works under one order worth at least ₹9.4 million (~$101,200), or two orders worth at least ₹5.9 million (~$63,500) each, or three orders worth at least ₹4.7 million (~$50,600) each.

Bidders must have an average annual turnover of at least ₹11.8 million (~$127,000) during the preceding three financial years.

Module washing must be performed twice a month, resulting in 48 cleaning cycles over the contract period.

The successful bidder must maintain a monthly inverter availability factor of 99.50% during the O&M period. All reasons responsible for inverter unavailability during generating hours, such as inverter-related faults, DC side faults, outage of IDT, 33kV cable faults, 33 kV switchgear outage, switchyard equipment, power transformer, or any other equipment/cable fault leading to inverter outage, should also be accounted for in this index calculation itself.

Liquidated damages equal to 20% of the cost of the activity will apply for delays of more than 30 days in completing any maintenance activity. Failure to carry out module washing will result in payment deductions and additional liquidated damages of 10% of the monthly washing bill.

Non-compliance with reporting schedules or failure to maintain the required tools, consumables, and vehicles will attract a penalty of ₹10,000 (~$110) per incident. Delayed payment to contract workers will attract a penalty of ₹1,000 (~$11) per day.

Total annual performance-related deductions are capped at 10% of the annual O&M cost payable.

Recently, NTPC invited bids for a two-year O&M of 56.3 MW of solar power projects at Kawas in Surat, Gujarat.

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