In two separate tenders, the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) tendered 22 MW of solar projects.

The NTPC-SAIL Power Company Limited (NSPCL), a joint venture of NTPC and SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited), tendered a 7 MW solar power project to be developed in the vicinity of Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) at Bhilai, District Durg in Chhattisgarh. The bid-submission deadline is December 15, 2017. The project can source PV cells and modules from open category.

The scope of work includes procurement, supply, engineering and construction of the project. The successful bidder will be responsible for construction of pre-engineered type inverter room with power  conditioning  unit, construction of central monitoring and control station (CMCS) with switchgear  room, SCADA room, and all associated electrical and civil works required for interfacing with  customer grid (transformers, breakers, isolators, panels, protection system, cables, metering at 11 kV level, earthing) along with associated transmission system for evacuation of power to 11 kV township substation of Bhilai Steel Plant by means of a double circuit 11 kV overhead lines /cables (each of 5 MW capacity) and construction of internal roads, pathways and peripheral road, fencing for outdoor transformers, peripheral boundary wall, worker shed, security gate with guardroom and drainage system.

Winning bidder will need to provide operation & maintenance (O&M) of the project & transmission system for a period of five years from the date of successful completion of trial run.

The NSPCL will finance the project through its own resources.

The NTPC also tendered a 15 MW solar project to be developed at NTPC-Kayamkulam premises in Kerala, under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category. The bid-submission deadline is December 5, 2017.

The project will be developed on turnkey basis and only India-made modules will be utilized. The scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of the grid-connected solar project. The successful bidder will be responsible for all associated electrical and civil works required for interfacing with grid (transformers, breakers, isolators, panels, protection system, cables/overhead line, metering at 33 kV level, earthing of transformer) and evacuation of power from main pooling station through 33 kV cable.

Winning bidder will again need to provide O&M of the project & transmission system for a period of fifteen years from the date of successful completion of trial run.

Barring the above-mentioned tenders, in 2017, NTPC has tendered a total of 751 MW of solar under DCR category. These include, a 225 MW grid-connected solar project under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category in Uttar Pradesh, 35 MW tendered for captive use by NTPC projects, 241 MW of solar to be developed across the states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, and 250 MW of solar to be developed anywhere in India. NTPC has also re-tendered 250 MW of solar at Pavagada Solar Park in Karnataka under DCR category in March 2017.

Image credit: NTPC