Eastern Coalfields (ECL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has invited bids to design, install, and commission 816 kW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems and also provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services for 599 kW of installed systems for five years, across West Bengal and Jharkhand.

Bidders must submit their bids for both parts of the tender.

Under Part A, selected bidders will be responsible for installing 816 kW of grid-connected rooftop solar systems at six workshops of ECL, consisting of 18 different locations. The selected bidder must also provide the O&M services for five years. The systems must be commissioned within 180 days of the signing of the letter of award.

Part B of the tender requires the select bidder to operate and maintain 599 kW installed rooftop solar systems for five years.

The location and capacity details for all the sites are mentioned in the table below –

The last date to submit the bids is November 28, 2022. Bids will be opened the following day.

The estimated cost of work is ₹41.42 million (~$500,310).

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹517,700 ($6,274). The security deposit to be submitted by the selected bidders consists of two parts – performance security to be submitted at the time of award of work and retention money to be recovered from running bills.

The selected bidders must submit performance security at 3% of the contract amount within 21 days of issuance of the letter of award. The amount would range up to 5 % of the contract amount in case of long-term contracts, i.e., for a period exceeding five years.

To be eligible, the bidders must have previously executed three similar works as a prime contractor, each costing not less than the amount equal to 40% of the estimated tendered project cost, or two similar works, each costing not less than 50% of the estimated tendered project cost.

Alternatively, the bidder will also be eligible if they have executed one similar work costing not less than the amount equal to 80% of the estimated tendered project cost.

Each of these works must have been executed in the last seven years ending the last day of the month before October 2022, in which bid applications are invited.

The average annual financial turnover of the bidders during the last three financial years should be at least 30% of the estimated project cost.

Joint Ventures (JVs) will be allowed to participate in the bid with an estimated cost above ₹20 million ($241,805). In this case, the lead member should have at least a 50% participating share in the required working capital to qualify for the tender. All other members should have at least 20% participation in the JV.

A purchase preference will be given to Class-I local suppliers with domestic content equal to or more than 50% under the ‘Make in India’ policy.

In May, CIL issued a request for expression of interest to empanel owner’s engineers-cum-project management consultants for solar projects of different capacities by Coal India and its subsidiaries.

According to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker, Coal India has so far floated tenders for 4.28 GW of solar power projects.