The Railway Energy Management Company Limited (REMCL), a joint venture of the Indian Railways and RITES Limited, has issued a notice inviting tender (NIT) to enroll agencies or consultants to set up solar projects.

These consultants will conduct surveys, prepare feasibility and detailed project reports (DPR) for solar photovoltaic projects in various Indian states.

The last date for submitting bids is October 6, 2021. The technical bids will be opened on the same day.

Bidders must pay ₹5,000 (~$68) as empanelment fees and a non-refundable payment tender document fees of ₹2,500 (~$34).

The Ministry of Railways has set a target for Indian Railways to become ‘net zero carbon emission’ by 2030.  REMCL has issued various tenders to install solar rooftop projects on railway station platforms, office buildings, workshops, schools, hospitals, and barracks of railway police.

REMCL has awarded 250 MW of rooftop solar capacity, and implementation is underway. The Indian Railways plans to utilize vacant Railway land parcels by installing solar projects in phases.

In August this year, REMCL invited bids to develop 210 MW of grid-connected solar projects on vacant railway land. The tender was under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category.

REMCL has been assigned to set up 3 GW of solar power projects on vacant Railway land. The project will be divided into three phases of 1 GW each. The first and third phases will be on a public-private partnership basis under the design, build, finance, operate, and transfer model. The second phase will be carried out under the ownership of REMCL.

Tenders are issued for 3 GW of solar projects. These are to be developed on vacant land in various states under the CAPEX model.

Finance Minister had earlier stated that solar capacity would be deployed along the railway tracks on lands owned by the Indian Railways. She had mentioned that the government aims to electrify 27,000 km of railway tracks.

Eligibility

The bidder must be a registered company for at least three years, a registered partnership, a limited liability partnership, or a proprietorship firm. The bidder must be empaneled for executing solar projects or conducting survey, feasibility, and DPR with at least one state nodal agency.

The bidder must have a minimum of three projects of survey or DPR with Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) or state nodal agencies. The bidder must have a minimum average annual turnover of ₹10 million  (~$135,892) over the last three financial years.

The validity of enrolled consultants will be for 24 months from the enrollment date, extendable by 12 months.