The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) of Udaipur has issued a tender for 300 solar-based borewell water pumping systems.

To qualify, a bidder must either be an indigenous solar photovoltaic (SPV) module manufacturer, manufacturer of submersible pump sets, or system integrator with an experience of installing and commissioning of SPV modules, and solar-operated pumps for drinking water.

The last date for bid submission is June 20, 2019, and the value of the tender has been set at ₹216 million ($3.1 million).

The tender, issued on behalf of the governor of Rajasthan, is on a rate contract basis. In such contracts, the contractor supplies materials on demand, irrespective of the quantity, at fixed unit rates or prices.

However, government undertakings or departments dealing with the manufacturing of solar modules will be exempt from rating after they submit the relevant documents.

The scope of work includes the installation, commissioning, and comprehensive operation and seven-year maintenance services for these pumping systems which will be installed in various villages and towns under Udaipur region.

Solar-powered water pumping sets are a great way of reducing the dependence on coal-based power for a country like India.

To help the distressed agricultural sector of the country, the central government launched the Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) program for farmers. The program is aimed at helping the farmers install solar pumps and grid-connected solar power projects, which in turn would provide financial and water security to farmers. The program targets to add a solar capacity of 25,750 MW by 2022.

Recently, the government of India’s Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) also issued a tender to procure 272,579 solar water pumping systems for member countries of the International Solar Alliance (ISA). This was the first large solar pumps tender issued in 2019.

Earlier, in December 2018 the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) had issued a tender for 50,000 solar water pumping systems to be installed at project sites of identified farmers in the state.

Then in August 2018, the New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd (NREDCAP) issued a tender for 25,000 off-grid solar PV water pumping systems, 20,000 were to be AC solar pump sets, and 5,000 were to be equipped with DC motor.

Image credit: Vishwajeet