SJVN Limited, a joint venture between the central government and the government of Himachal Pradesh, has floated a notice inviting expressions of interest (EOI) to enlist engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) vendors to develop 100 MW of solar projects in the country.

An earnest money deposit (EMD) is not required for this tender. The last date for the online submission of bids is December 17, 2020, and the last date for the offline submissions is December 21, 2020.

The scope of work includes the design, engineering, manufacture, supply, inspection, installation, erection, testing, and commissioning of the projects. Successful bidders are required to provide comprehensive operations and maintenance services for ten years. Applicants must be in a position to provide suitable and adequate land for the project.

To be eligible to participate in the competitive bidding process, applicants must have previously completed at least one 50 MW or higher capacity project with a similar scope of work worth at least ₹1.5 billion (~$20.4 million) in the last seven years. They must also present be operating and maintaining at least one 50 MW solar project.

Prospective bidders must also have an average annual turnover of at least ₹1.5 billion (~$20.4 million) in the last three years and have had a positive net worth in the previous audited years. Selected applicants will be enlisted for two years initially, and this will be renewed based on the fulfillment of technical, financial, and other criteria at the time.

In October, SJVN invited bids to purchase 1,500 acres of land for setting up solar power projects in Rajasthan. The land was required to have a chain link fencing on its periphery and be located within 20 km from the Rajasthan Vidyut Prasaran Nigam’s (RVPN) state transmission utility grid substation.

Previously, SJVN invited tenders for the engineering, procurement, and construction of a 100 MW solar project at the Raghanesda Solar Park (Phase X) in Gujarat. It had just announced that it won the capacity in Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited’s (GUVNL) auction.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, SJVN has issued EPC contracts for 1200 MW of solar projects till now. Separately, as per Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, the company has 5 MW of operational solar projects and 200 MW under development, as of November 2020.

The hydropower generator has recently forayed into the solar segment and has big plans for the upcoming decade. Read about the company’s recent activities in the solar sector in an exclusive interview here.