Rajasthan Electronics and Instruments Limited (REIL), a joint venture between the Government of India and the Government of Rajasthan, has issued a notice inviting tender (NIT) for 600,000 multicrystalline solar cells with wattages of 4.5W, 4.6W, and 4.67W.

The tender sought the supply of 200,000 cells for each specified wattage. The deadline for the submission of bids is August 21, 2020.

The cell dimensions for all three wattages must be 156 x 156 mm +/-1 mm or 156.75 x 156.75 mm +/-1 mm. The length of 4.5W cells must be four or five busbars, while for other wattages, it must be five busbars. The cells must be free from cracks, pinholes, chips, grid line defects, smudges, smudges, color or pattern mismatches, and any other visual or mechanical defects.

REIL said it would prefer to deal directly with manufacturers. Only domestic manufacturers have been allowed to place bids. Vendors must also have a minimum annual crystalline silicon solar cell production capacity of 50 MW. It added that 25% of the tendered quantity had been set aside for small and medium scale enterprises (MSE).

Vendors are also expected to have supplied at least 4 MW of cells greater than 4.5W to Indian customers between July 2019 and June 2020.

The tender documents added that the cells would be supplied monthly as mutually agreed and that the delivery period may be extended by REIL if required. The supplier must mention the maximum delivery capacity of ordered solar cells on a two-week lead time basis.

Vendors who have not supplied cells to REIL previously are expected to provide a free sample of 140 cells of each wattage for evaluation and approval before the due date of the tender.

Recently, REIL also issued a tender for rate contract manufacturing of polycrystalline solar modules of 325W. If solar cells are domestically manufactured, the diffusion process on wafers (black wafers) should be carried out in India. The tender has been floated for 6,500 polycrystalline solar modules. The last date for the submission of bids is August 18, 2020.

In May, REIL invited bids for 1.1 million multicrystalline silicon solar cells with wattages of 4.5W, 4.6W, and 4.67W.

Previously, Mercom had reported that REIL also announced a tender for the manufacturing of crystalline solar PV modules of 75W.

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