The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) has tendered two solar projects of 10 MW each to be developed at Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal. This is an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract and the bid-submission deadline is February 28, 2017. The capacity has been tendered to meet solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO), stated a WBSEDCL official. Each project is estimated to cost Rs.571.2 million (~$8.39 million).

The scope of work includes, design, engineering, manufacture, procurement, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the solar project. The successful contractor will also provide five years of operation and maintenance (O&M) after successful project commissioning. The WBSEDCL will fund the project construction as it is a state sponsored program, there is no involvement of any central government agency, stated the WBSEDCL official and added that, a single contractor can bid for both the projects.

“The project must be completed within 225 days from the date of handing over of project site. The bidders have been asked to provide a schedule for project execution along with the bids. The provisions in general are same as WBSEDCL’s solar tender in 2016 in which we auctioned three solar projects of 10 MW each,” added the WBSEDCL official.

West Bengal has commissioned solar projects aggregating 23.07 MW, 132.39 MW less than the solar RPO requirement, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. According to Mercom’s India Solar Project Tracker, currently West Bengal has 30 MW of solar projects under construction.

Image Credit: WBSEDCL