The West Bengal Power Development Corporation (WBPDCL) has invited bids for the operation and maintenance of the 10 MW ground-mounted solar power project at the Sagardighi thermal power plant in Murshidabad.

The O&M contract duration is for four months, starting from March 15, 2024, to July 14, 2024.

The last date to submit the bids is February 28, 2024. Bids will be opened on March 1.

The estimated cost of the contract is ₹1.65 million (~$19,909) plus GST. Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹33,031(~$398.57), which WBPDCL will retain as a performance bank guarantee from the selected bidder for the contract duration.

An additional performance security @ 10% of the tendered amount will be obtained from the successful bidder if the accepted bid value is 80% or less of the estimate put to tender.

The scope of work includes administrative, monitoring, and maintenance operations as well as documentation, replacement, and successful operation of the project for the contract duration.

The selected contractor will not be allowed to engage a subcontractor to execute the tasks under the tender.

In case of a delay in executing the tasks or supplying the required materials, WBPDCL will reserve the right to recover a sum equivalent to 0.5% of the value delayed supply/work for each week of delay, subject to a maximum of 10% of the total value of the order, as liquidated damages.

The tender did not specify any technical or financial qualification criteria for the bidders.

WBPDCL’s Sagardighi thermal power plant features a total of 5 solar projects, including the 10 MW ground-mounted project. The other completed projects include – a 3.511 MW_dc rooftop solar project and a 5 MW grid-connected floating solar project at Raw Water Pond No. 3. WBPDCL is also constructing two 10 MW floating solar projects at Raw Water Pond #1, #2, #4, and #5.

In July 2023, WBPDCL awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for 22.5 MW floating solar projects at the Bakreswar, Santhaldih, and Sagardidhi thermal power plants to Indore-based Universal Transformers, a provider of electrical and automation solutions.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, WBPDCL has issued tenders for 84 MW of solar projects to date.