Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), a joint venture between the central and the Rajasthan governments, has invited bids to procure 40,000 solar cells of the monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC) category of 5.64 W capacity.

The last date to submit the bids is May 13, 2021, and bids will be opened on May 14.

As per the required parameters, the cells should be 158.75*158.75 ± 0.25 mm in dimension. The 5.64 W cells must be five busbars long, and the desired thickness of the cells has been outlined as 190 +/- 30 µm.

REIL has specified that the cells should be free from any crack or pinholes, edge chipping, and smudges of paste on the front side of the cell. The cells should also be devoid of any visible mismatch in their color or pattern. REIL has further specified that deep blue silicon nitride anti-reflection coating on both sides of the cells will be preferred.

The supplier should provide information regarding the type of cell, crystal structure, resistivity, orientation, thickness, and wattage of cells packed in each box on a sticker.

The tender also mentions that the cell-to-module loss must be less than 1.5%.

The total quantity should be supplied in one lot in May or within two weeks from the delivery clearance.

The vendors who have not supplied similar cells earlier will be required to submit a sample of 140 solar cells free of cost to REIL for evaluation and acceptance before the due date of the tender. Only those vendors whose samples meet the expected parameters set by REIL will be considered.

As per the tender documents, 25% of the tendered quantity has been earmarked for micro and small enterprise (MSE) suppliers. Out of the 25% reserved numbers, 20% has been allocated for procurement from MSEs owned by Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs. In case the MSE vendor participating in the tender quotes within the price band of L1+15%, they will be allowed to supply the number of solar cells subject to the acceptance of L1 price by the MSE vendor. In the case of more than one such MSE vendor, the supply will be shared proportionately.

Indigenous manufacturers will be given preference subject to meeting quality standards and specifications.

REIL has also said that it will deal with the manufacturers directly and that only those authorized will be eligible to quote a bid. Offers submitted by authorized representatives of foreign manufacturers will be accepted subject to the clear mention of the make of solar cell enclosed with an authorization letter from the manufacturer. REIL has further clarified that the offer will not be considered if the quote is on behalf of more than one manufacturer.

In December last year, REIL invited bids for the supply of 5,000 mono PERC solar cells of 5.8 W capacity.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, REIL has floated tenders for the supply of 160,000 mono PERC solar cells as of March 2021.