The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has floated a tender for 100 solar street lights and 50 solar fox lights in the fringe area of Karikot village in Katerniaghat wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.

The scope of work includes the design, supply, development, manufacturing, installation, testing, and commissioning of 100 solar street lights and supply and installation of 50 fox lights, including annual maintenance for two years at Katerniaghat wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh. The main objective of the project is to deter big cats from entering villages, thereby reducing risks of human casualties. The solar fox lights will be mounted on the mounting rod with appropriate stainless-steel fasteners and the mounting rod should be grouted at least 0.5 meters below ground with M15 grade concrete.

The scope of work also includes the annual maintenance of the solar street lights and solar fox lights for two years after the date of the commissioning of the project, including the supply and storage of all mandatory spare parts.

The last date for the submission of bids is January 14, 2020, and the prospective bidders must submit an amount of ₹56,000 (~$791) as the earnest money deposit (EMD).

The entire design, development, manufacturing, supply, erection, testing and commissioning of solar street lights and supply, installation and commissioning of solar fox lights should be completed within three months from the date of Award.

As for the general eligibility criteria, the bidder should be a body incorporated in India under the Companies Act, 1956, or 2013. Government-owned enterprises engaged in the business of power/infrastructure, limited liability partnership firms, and MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) vendors are also eligible for the bidding process. MSMEs registered under NSIC/ Udyog Aadhar/DIC are exempted from the submission of EMD and processing fees.

As far as the technical criteria are concerned, the bidder should have experience in the development of solar street lights systems on a turnkey basis, including the design, development, manufacturing, testing, and supply of solar street lights. The bidder should at least have one work order of 80 or above of solar street lights in last seven financial years or two work orders having an individual quantity of 50 or above of street lights in the last seven financial years or three work orders having an individual capacity of 40 or above of street lights in the last seven financial years.

Earlier this year, the Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) had issued a tender for supply, installation, and commissioning of solar streetlights, high mast, and solar powerpack white-LED based systems. Under this tender, 2,100 solar streetlights are expected to be installed along with 800 solar high mast lighting systems, and 21,000 solar powerpack systems.

Previously, Mercom reported that the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) had received approval to launch phase II of Atal Jyoti Yojna (AJAY) during the financial year 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Under the phase II of AJAY, 304,500 solar street lights are expected to be installed in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, North Eastern states including Sikkim, Andaman & Nicobar, Lakshadweep, and parliamentary constituencies covering 48 aspirational districts.

Image credit: Attensky [CC BY-SA 3.0]