Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) has issued a request for selection (RfS) seeking bids from engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors to install and commission 30 MW grid-connected solar power projects near substations of Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) in Gujarat.

The project’s estimated cost is ₹1.2 billion (~$15.73 million).

The scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacture, supply and procurement, erection, testing, and commissioning of the project. The selected developer will have to take care of the project’s operation and maintenance (O&M) for five years after commissioning the project.

The solar projects are to be set up at Hadala, Moviya & Dhrangadhra of Amreli, Rajkot & Surendranagar Districts around the substations of GETCO in the state of Gujarat.

The projects must be completed within 12 months of the issue of notice to proceed.

The last day to submit the bids is April 6, 2022. The bids will be opened on April 12.

Bidders must submit ₹12 million (~$157,356) as an earnest money deposit. Bidders must also pay a non-refundable tender fee of ₹25,000 (~$328).

The scope of work will also include 66 KV underground cable or overhead line work from solar project to GETCO 66 KV substation and construction, erection, testing, and commissioning of complete 66 KV bay and bus bar extension in respective substations. The successful bidder must also install availability-based tariff meters to measure net power evacuation at 66 KV substations and the solar projects. Four units of three-phase plus one spare cable for each solar project are required.

The modules used in the project should be sourced from manufacturers listed in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s list of models and module manufacturers under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) regulation.

The bidder should have designed, supplied, erected, and commissioned grid-connected solar power projects of cumulative installed capacity of 20% or higher than their bid capacity. At least one commissioned project should have been 5% or higher than the total bid capacity. The reference project should have been in successful operation for at least six months before the date of the techno-commercial bid opening.

The cumulative turnover of the bidder for the last three financial years should be at least ₹840 million(~$11.01 million). The net worth of the bidder during the last financial year should be positive, which will be calculated by adding only the equity and reserves without considering the revaluation reserves, intangible assets, miscellaneous expenses to the extent not written off and carried forward losses.

The successful bidder must also furnish 5% of the contract value as a security deposit cum performance bank guarantee (PBG) within seven days from the date of issue of work. The successful bidder must also pay 5% of the contract value as an O&M bank guarantee (BG).

If the successful bidder cannot provide insurance for solar modules, the successful bidder will have to submit a bank guarantee of ₹1 million/MW of modules. This BG will be valid for 25 years from the start date O&M period.

If the contractor fails to achieve the net electrical energy generation guarantee (NEEGG) at the performance guarantee test, the contractor will have to provide a bank guarantee of ₹25.80 (~$0.34) multiplied by the number of shortfall units within thirty days. This bank guarantee will be valid for four years, and if the contractor achieves the NEEGG in the fifth year, it will be returned to the contractor at the end of the fifth year of the O&M period.

If the successful bidder delays the commissioning of the project by 30 days, ₹15,000 (~$197)/MW/day will be charged as liquidated damages. The liquidated damages will be proportionate to the capacity not commissioned by the commercial operation date.

If the project is delayed by more than 30 days but in less than 60 days, ₹25,000 (~$328)/MW/day will be charged as liquidated damages. If the project is delayed by more than 60 days, the liquidity damages will be ₹35,000 (~$459)/MW/day.

The upper ceiling for total liquidated damages for delay will be a maximum of 10% of the contract value.

During the operational acceptance test, any shortfall in the performance ratio (PR) will attract liquidated damages after one unsuccessful chance. For any shortfall in PR below 0.75for any location by the bidder the second time, a penalty of ₹400,000 (~$5245) x AC capacity of individual location will be levied. The penalty will be deducted from the pending payment and PBG.

The EPC or O&M contractor will carry out scheduling and forecasting work. All costs associated with scheduling and forecasting activity related to DSM regulation by GERC in existence and amended from time to time will be in the contractor’s scope. GSECL will bear 50% of DSM charges, and the contractor will have to bear the remaining DSM charges.

In January, GSECL had invited bids from engineering, procurement, and construction contractors to develop 131 MW of solar projects in the Surendranagar and Morbi districts of the state.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, GSECL has issued EPC tenders for 1.8 GW of solar capacity to date.