The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has tendered 200 MW (AC) of solar under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category, on behalf of Coal India Limited (CIL). The last date of submitting the bids is November 13, 2017.

The project will be developed at the Neemuch-Mandsaur Solar Park in Madhya Pradesh and will comprise two blocks of 100 MW each. One 100 MW block will be developed for Northern Coalfields Limited and the other 100 MW block will be developed for Southeastern Coalfields Limited, both are subsidiaries of CIL.

This is an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) tender and the scope of work includes design, engineering, procurement, supply of equipment and materials, testing at manufacturers works, multi-level inspections, packing and forwarding, supply, receipt, unloading and storage at site, associated civil works, services, permits, licenses, installation and incidentals, insurance at all stages, erection, testing, and commissioning of the grid-connected solar project.

The successful bidders will also provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for a period of 10 years. Bidders can only bid to develop one 100 MW block. If the SECI finds other bidders not ready to match L1 price then the entire capacity (200 MW) can be awarded to the L1 bidder upon receiving their approval.

The SECI has regulated, in case the L1 discovered bidder denies accepting the offered second 100 MW block, then SECI at its sole discretion may only award the first 100 MW block discovered on L1 price or may annul the whole tendering process or may also take suitable course of action for the successful execution of the project.

The SECI had initially tendered the project in August 2017.

Apart from this tender, the SECI has recently tendered a 5 MW grid-connected solar project under the DCR category in Telangana on behalf of Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL).

With the DCR deadline of December 31^st, 2017 looming, government agencies are ramping up tender activity. However, lately tenders are not getting auctioned due to uncertainties around GST, antidumping case, module price increase, DISCOMs renegotiating PPAs among other reasons.

Image credit: SECI