The Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) has issued a request for selection (RfS) of vendors for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of its 2 MW solar project located at Kuzhalmannam, Palakkad District, Kerala.

The estimated cost of the O&M contract for two years is ₹2.5 million (~$33,351), including all taxes and charges.

The last date to submit bids is November 14, 2021. The bids will be opened the next day.

Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹37,500 (~$500). The successful bidder must also provide 5% of the total contract value as performance security.

The scope of work includes comprehensive operation and maintenance of the 2 MW solar project for two years. The successful bidder should also provide all material and services for maintaining the solar project, except equipment such as inverters, cables, and solar modules.

After two years, the annual maintenance contract will be reviewed and a tender issued for the services.

The successful bidder should provide one graduate engineer, one diploma engineer, a security person, and a cleaning person as part of the O&M of the project.

To participate in the competitive bidding process, bidders must have experience in maintaining utility-scale (MW scale) power projects or solar power projects at least for two years at the time of bid opening.

The bidder must also have a minimum annual turnover of ₹5 million or more (~$66,732) for any two years of the previous three years.

The O&M period will be considered to commence from December 10, 2021. , The technical personnel from the successful bidder must attend a training prior one week before the services are started.

In July 2021, ANERT issued a rate contract tender for 2.5 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems. The capacity of the projects varied between 2 kW and 50 kW.

Mercom had earlier reported that ANERT invited bids from empanelled agencies for the rate contract of 10 MW of solar power projects of capacity from 1 kW to 10 kW.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, ANERT has issued tenders for 30 MW of solar capacity to date.