The National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has tendered 35 MW of solar under the domestic content requirement (DCR) category. The bid-submission deadline is October 12, 2017.

The capacity tendered includes a 20 MW solar project to be developed at premises of NTPC Simhadri in Andhra Pradesh and a 15 MW solar project to be developed at the premises of NTPC Ramagundam in Telangana.

The scope of work includes design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, packing and forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, installation, and commissioning of the project. The successful bidder will provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for a 15-year period.

The solar projects will be developed on a turnkey basis for captive use by NTPC projects, stated an NTPC official.

Mercom previously reported that after a long lull, DCR tender activity has picked up in India’s solar sector. According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, prior to August 2017, the NTPC tendered a total of 491 MW of solar under DCR.

With the portfolio of commissioned solar projects totaling 870 MW, NTPC is ranked as the third largest solar project developer in our recently released Q2 2017 India Solar Market Update, trailing Tata Power and Adani.

If approved, the recent proposal for a 7.5 GW CPSU Program could significantly increase the DCR market local manufacturers.