Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) has invited bids for the commissioning of 234 MW of floating solar projects on the Maithon reservoir in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The deadline for submitting bids is January 7, 2025. The minimum size for each individual project has been specified as 58.5 MW, with a capacity utilisation factor of 25.34 per cent. Furthermore, the developers will be required to oversee the operation and maintenance of these projects for a period of 10 years.
According to the tender guidelines, the bidders are required to submit a deposit of Rs 102.1 million. Selected bidders must also furnish 3 per cent of the order value as performance security within 21 days from the issuance of the Letter of Award (LOA).
According to the eligibility criteria, the bidders must have prior experience in designing, supplying, erecting (or supervising the erection), and commissioning (or supervising the commissioning) of grid-connected solar projects with a cumulative installed capacity of at least 100 MW. Additionally, at least two of these projects must have been 10 MW or larger and operational for a minimum of six months prior to the bid submission date. Moreover, bidders must demonstrate net working capital or access to fund-based unutilised credit facilities of at least Rs 1.7 billion and an average annual turnover of at least Rs 4.08 billion over the last three financial years. Their net worth, as of the last day of the preceding financial year, must be equivalent to at least 100 per cent of their paid-up share capital. The solar module supplier must be listed on the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) by the bid submission date or within six months of the LOA issuance. If ALMM is not applicable due to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) orders, suppliers must have manufactured and supplied solar modules with at least 40 MWp of installed capacity in a single financial year, including 550 Wp or higher modules that have operated for at least six months. Additionally, manufacturers of solar floaters must have supplied and commissioned floaters with at least 5 MW capacity at a single location, and suppliers of anchoring and mooring systems must have designed and installed systems for at least 20 MW of floating solar blocks at a single location.
In January 2024, DVC issued a request for proposals for an 8 MW grid-connected ground-mounted solar project at DVC Konar Dam in Jharkhand, requiring monocrystalline technology, with responsibilities including design, engineering, construction, testing, commissioning, and five years of operation and maintenance.
