The Department of Atomic Energy has invited bids for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of a 12 MW solar power project at its heavy water plant in Manuguru, Hyderabad.

The last date to submit bids is March 18, 2026. Bids will be opened on March 25.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹458,960 (~$5,061) and a performance bank guarantee amounting to 5% of the tendered amount.

They must also submit a security deposit amounting to 2.5% of the tendered amount.

The project is estimated at ₹22.95 million (~$253,057).

The O&M period will be for 24 months.

The scope of work covers the supply of spares and consumables, preventive and breakdown maintenance, overhauling, replacement of damaged modules, inverter parts, supervisory control and data acquisition, programmable logic controller systems, and switchgear for the power conditioning unit.

It also entails cleaning modules, ventilation blowers, the low-tension panel board, the remote terminal unit panel, and strong combiner boxes.

Successful bidders must inject power to the 6.6 kV east substation grid as per the state load dispatch center.

The 12 MW solar project comprises REC, Singapore’s 255 Wp solar modules, Vacon’s 8000 series inverters, and Raychem’s 2.5 MVA, 340V/340V/6.6 kV transformers.

Successful bidders must use goods and services that meet a minimum local content requirement of 20% of the tendered value.

If the successful bidders fail to supply and install the faulty equipment after 144 hours of the breakdown, they must pay ₹6/kWh (~$0.066/kWh) for the generation loss.

They must also ensure the project generates at least 90% of guaranteed generation. In default, they must pay a penalty of ₹13.25/kWh (~$0.146/kWh).

Successful bidders must have completed O&M of solar projects of at least 10 MW for a minimum of two years in the last seven financial years in the following ways:

• Three solar projects costing at least 40% of the estimated cost
• Two solar projects costing at least 60% of the estimated cost
• One project costing at least 80% of the estimated cost

Bidders must have a minimum annual turnover of at least 50% of the estimated tender value and must not have incurred losses in more than two of the last 5 financial years.

They must also submit either a banker’s certificate for 40% of the estimated tender cost or a net worth certificate for at least 10% of the tender cost.

In a major push to bring the private sector into nuclear power generation, the government passed the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act.

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