NTPC Limited has invited bids for the operation and maintenance (O&M) services of the 10 MW solar power project at its Unchahar plant in Uttar Pradesh.

The last date to submit the bids is January 05, 2021, and the bids will be opened on January 08, 2021.

Interested bidders will have to submit an amount of ₹200,000 (~$2,709) as the earnest money deposit (EMD). The contact service period would be valid for 24 months from the date of work commencement. Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are exempt from paying EMD. Preference will also be given to an MSE while awarding the contract to the lowest bidder.

To take part in the competitive bidding process, the bidder should have successfully executed the work of installation and commissioning or O&M of at least one 5 MW or above capacity grid-connected solar power project in the last seven years.

The bidder should have executed works like supply, erection, commissioning, maintenance, and operation of equipment related to solar power projects in the previous seven years before the techno-commercial bid opening date. The bidder should have executed one project of value not less than ₹4.88 million (~$66,120), or two projects of at least ₹3.05 million (~$41,325) each, or three projects of value not less than ₹2.44 million (~$33,060) each in the last seven years.

Under the financial criteria, the bidder’s average annual turnover in the last three financial years should not be less than ₹6.1 million (~$82,650).

According to the tender documents, only Class-I local suppliers will be eligible to participate in the bid, giving preference to ‘Make in India’. Class-I local supplier in this context is a service provider, whose services, or works offered, has local content equal to or more than 50%.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, NTPC has so far floated O&M tenders for 125 MW of solar power projects.

In January this year, NTPC invited bids for the O&M of a 10 MW solar project in Ramagundam, a city in the Peddapalli district of Telangana, for two years.

Earlier, NTPC had floated an O&M tender for its 50 MW grid-connected Rajgarh solar project in Madhya Pradesh.

Last year as well, Mercom reported that NTPC had issued an O&M tender for the 10 MW solar project under operation at its Unchahar plant.