The Uttar Pradesh New and Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) has invited bids for the operation & maintenance (O&M) of 2.88 MW of mini-grid and decentralized distributed generation solar projects in Uttar Pradesh on a revenue model basis.

The O&M agreement will be valid for 20 years and would be reviewed every five years.

The last day to submit the bids is May 22, 2023. The bids will be opened on the next day.

Uttar Pradesh installed 16 solar mini-grid power projects with a total capacity of 2.332 MW and 28 solar projects with a total capacity of 548 kW in 2016. After five years, the projects were to be transferred to UPNEDA for O&M.

However, since these projects require significant capital and operating expenditures for their maintenance and revival, UPNEDA plans to operate and maintain them through private organizations under a revenue-sharing model.

The scope of work would involve upgrading or replacing faulty inverters, batteries, solar panels, and cables, among other things.

Bidders can sell the power from these projects to the residents, MSME customers, and farmers during the agreement tenure. The money earned from the power sold must be shared with UPNEDA.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹295,000 (~$3582). Selected contractors must furnish a security deposit of ₹5 million (~$60,719).

Bidders should have at least five years of experience in commissioning, operating, and maintaining solar power projects (at least 50 sites) of a cumulative capacity of 3 MW.

They should have had an average annual turnover of ₹60 million (~$728,632) in the last five years.

Bidders should also have a minimum turnover of ₹40 million (~$485,755) from its mini-grid business last year.

Their net worth should be at least ₹1 billion (~$12.14 million) in the last financial year.

UPNEDA invited bids for setting up 150 MW of grid-connected solar power projects under component C of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan program through the RESCO model.

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