TP Central Odisha Distribution (TPCODL), a joint venture between Tata Power and the government of Odisha, has invited bids to install and commission 180 MW of solar power projects for the solarization of 40,000 agricultural pumps in the state.

The projects will be implemented under Component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program.

The successful bidder will also have to take care of the project’s operation and maintenance for five years. The projects will be developed under the capital expenditure (CAPEX) model.

Under Component C of the KUSUM program, the government aims to solarize 1.5 million grid-connected agriculture pumps of individual capacity up to 7.5 HP by 2022.

The last date to submit the bids is October 31, 2022.

Bidders will have to submit ₹1 million (~$12,147) as an earnest money deposit.

Bidders should furnish the performance bank guarantee for installation and commissioning based on the allocated capacity. The amount will be calculated based on a formula as mentioned below:-

PBG amount = ₹[Amount (cost discovered)] Lakhs X 5% X Allocated Capacity in KW

The project must be completed within 20 months from the issue of the empanelment letter or 24 months from the sanction order from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to the distribution company (DISCOM), whichever is earlier.

The DISCOM-wise allocation of pumps and approximate aggregate capacity of solar power projects is given below:

Bidders should have designed, supplied, installed, and commissioned grid-connected solar power projects with an aggregate capacity of not less than 200 kW and should have been commissioned in the last five years before the bid submission deadline.

To qualify under financial eligibility criteria, bidders must have a minimum average annual turnover of ₹10 million (~$121,477) in any one of the last three financial years.

The metering and grid connectivity of the ground-mounted solar power projects under this program would be the vendor’s responsibility.

The solar modules should consist of 72 solar cells, each with a dimension of 156 mm x 156 mm and a minimum capacity of 300W. The rated power of solar modules should have a maximum tolerance of up to +3%. No negative tolerance in the rated capacity of solar modules will be allowed.

All modules should carry a performance warranty of >90% during the first ten years and >80% during the next 15 years. Further, the modules should have a performance warranty of >97% during the first year of installation. Degradation of modules should not be more than 0.7% per annum.

Last May, the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency invited bids to select solar power generators to set up 500 MW of solar projects under Component A of the PM KUSUM program on a build, own, and operate basis.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, tenders for 1,042 MW of solar projects have been floated in the country under Component-C of the PM KUSUM program by various organizations.