TUSCO, a joint venture (JV) between THDC India and Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Development Agency (UPNEDA), has invited bids to appoint a consultant to prepare pre-feasibility and detailed project reports (DPR) for the development of floating solar power projects in Uttar Pradesh.

The last date for the submission of the bids is January 30, 2023, and the bids will be opened on the next day.

TUSCO has set the estimated cost of the service at ₹34.2 million (~$415,919).

Bidders have to submit an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹343,000 (~$4,171). Medium and Small Enterprises are exempt from paying the EMD.

Bidders must submit a performance bank guarantee for an amount equivalent to 3% of the total contract price. They must submit a performance security equivalent to 3% of the total contract price within 30 days of the issue of the letter of award.

The scope of work includes preparations of reports comprising technical and commercial analysis to understand the attractiveness, feasibility, risks, and mitigation plans related to the setting of the floating solar projects.

For the pre-feasibility report, apart from assessing all the dam reservoir sites in Uttar Pradesh, the consultant must provide the costing estimate of the development of the project at each dam and the likely range of tariffs.

For each reservoir, the consultant is required to undertake single-beam and multi-beam bathymetry surveys of floating solar plant equivalent, geophysical surveys, geotechnical studies, topographic surveys, and energy yield assessments.

The winning consultant must collect and review historical water levels including maximum water levels, full reservoir levels, and minimum draw-down level, along with assessing the design of the area, elevation, and the capacity curve of the reservoir available with the owner or regulator of the water body.

For DPR, the selected consultant must study the solar market trends which include the global and national scenario of solar power projects, either ground-mounted or floating, along with their market share and new initiatives in solar technologies if any.

The scope of work also includes the preparation of the Environment & Social Impact Assessment for the proposed dam reservoir sites.

The average annual turnover of the bidders during the last three financial years should not be less than ₹10 million (~$121,613). Their net worth must be equal to paid-up capital during the financial year 2021-22.

Bidders must have prepared at least two pre-feasibility reports or DPRs of grid-connected floating solar projects or parks with an installed capacity of not less than 50 MW.

Additionally, they must also have a minimum experience of 10 years in planning, design, development, and implementation of solar parks or grid-connected floating solar projects of 100 MW.

Earlier this year, TUSCO signed an advisory mandate with the International Finance Corporation to develop 600 MW of solar power projects in Uttar Pradesh.

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