NTPC Renewables, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has invited expressions of interest (EoI) to form strategic tie-ups for sourcing solar modules for a total capacity of 15 GW over a period of five years.

The sourced modules can have cells either manufactured domestically or sourced from anywhere in the world.

The purpose of the EoI is to evaluate the upcoming capacities of domestic solar module manufacturers, their techno-commercial requirements to initiate the process of long-term sourcing tie-ups.

The last date to submit the bids is November 8, 2021, and bids will be opened on November 9.

The tender is open for any Indian company, consortium, or affiliates who have already established their manufacturing base in India or plan to set up their facilities in the next six months under the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) program.

The company is also open to contract manufacturing tie-ups with module manufacturers on a long-term basis under the framework of strategic sourcing tie-ups and would like to receive the detailed framework of the same as a part of the EoI.

The manufacturer should provide details of the different technologies and module sizes that the applicant plans to manufacture. The manufacturer should also submit the details and technical inputs for solar module manufacturing integrated with or without cells and wafers and will be required to come up with a detailed plan to establish the feasibility of contract manufacturing tie-ups.

Last June, NTPC invited applications globally to enlist vendors to procure solar photovoltaic (PV) modules. The scope of work included the manufacturing, supply, packing, forwarding, and transportation (for international modules up to the delivery port) of crystalline solar PV modules for bulk procurement.

Earlier, NTPC had invited bids for 33.6 MW of solar PV modules for a solar project in Solapur, Maharashtra. The scope of work included the manufacturing, supply, packing, forwarding, transporting, and supervising the installation and commissioning of the modules at the project site.

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Supply chain constraints have been a significant challenge for most developers. Mercom’s virtual event, ‘Solar Forum 2021,’ to be held this week on October 21, 2021, has an exclusive session – ‘A Look at India’s Solar Supply Chain and Sourcing Strategies‘ to address the sourcing strategies of developers. Register here to attend the event.