Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Ltd (CMPDI), a subsidiary of Coal India Ltd, has invited bids for the engineering, procurement and construction turnkey contract to set up a 25 megawatt (MW) alternating current plant, equivalent to 35 MW direct current, at the Dugdha-II site of the Dugdha Coal Washery in Dhanbad, Jharkhand. The installation is to be ground-mounted and grid-connected and will be operated within the premises of Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL). The procurement is being conducted through a public tender process overseen by CMPDI.

The scope of work covers design, engineering, procurement, supply, construction and erection, and includes testing and commissioning of the solar plant. The selected contractor will be responsible for comprehensive operation and maintenance for 10 years following commissioning. The tender specifies that the works must be completed on a turnkey basis under an EPC model. Health, safety and environmental compliance obligations form part of the contractual terms.

PV modules to be deployed in the project must carry performance warranties guaranteeing not less than 90 per cent of rated peak output at standard testing conditions at the end of 10 years and not less than 80 per cent at the end of 25 years. The warranty requirements aim to ensure long term energy yield and asset reliability. Technical and commercial bid conditions, qualifying criteria and timelines are set out in the tender documents issued by CMPDI.

The tender invitation reflects Coal India group efforts to augment renewable energy capacity at site level and to support transition of mine and washery assets towards cleaner power sources. Bidders will need to align project timelines with existing site operations to minimise disruption. Interested firms are expected to review the tender terms and submit bids as per the schedule published in the official documents.