Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has issued an expression of interest (EoI) for the supply of mono or multicrystalline solar modules for a 100 MW solar project of the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) at Raghanesda solar park in Gujarat.

The modules should be 330 W and above in 5 W band only. Modules must be made from 72 cells in a 12*6 configuration or 144-cell (half-cut) in a 24*6 configuration.

The last date to submit bids is November 25, 2021. Bids will be opened on the same day.

Bidders do not have to furnish any earnest money deposit for this tender.

Bidders must have a module manufacturing capacity of 150 MW annually to participate in the competitive bidding process. Bidders should have supplied crystalline silicon modules with 300 W and above for a minimum capacity of 100 MW in India. Of this, over 10 MW or more modules should have been supplied for one solar project with a minimum capacity of 10 MW.

In the past three financial years, the bidder’s annual average turnover should be over ₹660 million (~$8.87 million).

The successful bidder has to provide ten years warranty for solar modules with a peak output capacity of not less than 90% at the end of 10 years and 80% at the end of 25 years. The successful bidder must provide a bank guarantee of ₹1 million (~$13,449)/MW of modules capacity. The bank guarantee should be valid for 25 years and 90 days.

The modules should have a minimum efficiency of 15% and a minimum fill factor of 0.75%. Modules must perform satisfactorily with temperatures between -40° C and 85° C and humidity up to 85% and should withstand adverse climate conditions.

BHEL has reserved 25% of the tendered quantity had been reserved for micro and small enterprise (MSE) suppliers. Out of the 25% reserved for MSE suppliers, 6.25% has been earmarked for procurement by MSEs owned by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs, and 3% for women-owned MSEs.

An MSE vendor quoting within the price band of lowest (L1) + 15% will be allowed to supply 25% of the requirement subject to the acceptance of the L1 price.

Earlier this month, BHEL invited bids to supply 7.361 million monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear (PERC) solar cells with a wattage output of 5.38 W.

It had also invited expressions of interest from global manufacturers of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to supply poly or monocrystalline PERC solar modules of 330 W or above, in 5 W band only.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, BHEL has issued tenders to procure 781 MW of solar modules to date.

Harsh Shukla is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.

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