The Varanasi Division, Electrical of North Eastern Railway, has floated a tender for 1.15 MW rooftop solar projects at railway stations.

The last date for submitting bids is May 30, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The cost of the project is ₹61.4 million (~$736,316)

Bidders must pay an earnest money deposit of ₹457,400 (~$5,478).

The winning bidder must furnish a performance bank guarantee amounting to 5% of the contract value within 21 days from the issuance date of the Letter of Acceptance.

The scope of the work involves designing, testing, and commissioning an on-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) system without battery backup, comprising the following components:

• Mono PERC half-cut PV modules
• (b) Grid-connected string inverter with Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) and Data Logger allowing data transfer (RS-485, Wi-Fi, GPRS, RF) to a remote service platform for data storage and analysis, accessible via web app and large screen display
• Aluminum mounting structure for PV modules
• Array Junction Box
• Inverter Interfacing Panel
• Fire-resistant DC and AC cables of appropriate length for interconnecting panels, array, junction box, inverter system, and permanent pressurized water line, including all necessary accessories

The scope also encompasses the PV modules’ installation, testing, and commissioning with a 25-year on-site performance warranty and a 10-year on-site warranty on the inverter. Materials inspected by RITES will be provided and used.

Bidders must demonstrate a minimum average annual contractual turnover of V/N or ‘V,’ whichever is lower. V represents the advertised value of the tender, and N is the number of years prescribed for completing the work.

The average annual contractual turnover is calculated as the average of “total contractual payments” over the previous three financial years.

If the balance sheet of the previous year is not yet prepared or audited, the audited balance sheet of the fourth last year will be considered for calculating the average annual contractual turnover.

No financial credentials are required for tenders valued up to ₹5 million (~$59,879).

For tenders valued above ₹5 million (~$59,879), the eligibility criteria are as follows:

Within the last seven years, up to the previous month of the tender invitation, bidders should have completed one of the following:

– Three similar works with a cost not less than 30% of the advertised value of the tender

– Two similar works with a cost not less than 40% of the advertised value of the tender

– One similar work with a cost not less than 60% of the advertised value of the tender

“Similar work” entails supplying, installing, testing, and commissioning a solar power generating system of at least 10 kW, whether grid-connected or off-grid.

South Eastern Railway recently invited bids to empanel agencies to set up 8.383 MW of grid-connected rooftop solar power projects in Odisha, Jharkhand, and West Bengal through public-private partnerships on a design, build, finance, operate, and transfer basis.

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