Tamil Nadu’s Vellore Smart City Limited (VSCL) has issued a tender for a 1.2 MW of ground-mounded solar power project.

The project will be installed at the sewage treatment plant area near the Palar river in Vellore City Municipal Corporation. The estimated project cost is ₹62.8 million (~$835,850). Interested bidders are expected to make an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹625,000 (~$8,319). A bid processing fee of ₹25,000 (~$333) is also applicable. The last date for the submission of bids is August 17, 2020.

The scope of work includes the design, engineering, supply, transportation, site development, construction, and the installation, testing, commissioning of the project. The successful bidder also has to provide ten years of comprehensive operations and maintenance services for the project.

The timeline for the completion of the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) work is 180 days from the date the final five acres of land for the project are handed over.

Bidders are expected to have experience executing at least 600 kW of similar projects cumulatively for the central or state government, local bodies, or public sector undertakings (PSU). These projects must have been operational for six months before the date of the issue of the tender.

Applicants are also expected to have had a minimum average annual turnover of ₹60 million (~$798,583) in the three years preceding the date of technical bid opening. The net worth of the applicants in the last financial year should also be positive.

The solar modules used for the project must be warranted for peak output wattage, which should not be less than 90% at the end of ten years and 80% at the end of 25 years. The modules must be warranted for at least five years for failures due to material defects and workmanship. The cells and modules can either be manufactured in India or imported.

Last year, Vellore Smart City Limited issued a tender for grid-connected solar rooftop systems for around 130 buildings. The capacity of the rooftop projects varied from 1 kW-36 kW. The largest rooftop project of 36 kW was to be installed at Vellore Fort.

Another tender was later announced for the procurement of 328 battery operated carts for solid waste management in the village panchayats of the Vellore district.

In February 2019, Tiruppur Smart City Limited, another smart city in Tamil Nadu, issued a tender to develop 4.8 MW of solar power projects at Iduvai village.