NTPC Renewable Energy announced that it had invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a 250 MW (1×250 MW) grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) project located in Bikaner, Rajasthan. The invitation for bids (IFB) was issued on May 30, 2025. The tender process was planned to be carried out through domestic competitive bidding using a single-stage, two-envelope system, which comprised a techno-commercial bid and a price bid.

The project scope was described as comprehensive, covering design, engineering, supply, construction, installation, and commissioning of the solar PV plant. Additionally, the contractor was expected to supply solar modules, module mounting structures with trackers, internal roads, drainage, module cleaning systems, SCADA systems, weather monitoring stations, and power evacuation infrastructure up to the 33 kV main pooling switchgear at the owner’s substation. The contractor was also to be responsible for the operation and maintenance (O\&M) of the plant for three years following commissioning.

The cost of the bidding document was set at Rs 22,500, payable either by demand draft or electronic transfer. The documents were made available for download from June 5, 2025, to June 16, 2025, until 5:00 PM IST. A pre-bid conference was scheduled for June 18, 2025, with the deadline for bid submission set at June 30, 2025, by 3:00 PM IST. The techno-commercial bids were to be opened on the same day at 3:30 PM IST.

Bidders were required to submit a Bid Security (Earnest Money Deposit) of Rs 100 million along with their bids. The successful bidder was also required to furnish a Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) in accordance with the contract conditions specified in the bid documents.

Regarding eligibility, the qualifying criteria included both technical and financial requirements. Technically, bidders needed to demonstrate experience in executing at least 40 MWp of cumulative grid-connected solar PV capacity, including at least one project of 10 MWp or more that had been operational for six months before the bid date. Alternatively, bidders could qualify by having executed industrial projects valued at Rs 1.59 billion or more in power or related sectors, also meeting the same operational timeframe criteria.

Financially, the average annual turnover of the bidder over the previous three years was required to be no less than Rs 1.59 billion. Moreover, the bidder’s net worth had to be at least 100% of their paid-up share capital as per the last financial year.

Only Class-I local suppliers were eligible to participate in the bidding process. The bids were to be submitted online via the ETS portal. NTPC REL reserved the right to reject any or all bids without providing any reasons.

News source: Solar Quarter