Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has invited an expression of interest (EoI) for the supply of mono or multi-crystalline solar modules for a 100 MW solar plant of the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) at Raghanesda solar park in Gujarat. The modules must be 330 W and above in 5 W band only. Modules must be developed from 72 cells in a 12*6 configuration or 144-cell (half-cut) in a 24x6 configuration. The deadline to present the tenders is November 25 this year. Tenders will be opened on the same day. Bidders do not have to provide any earnest money deposit for this bid. Bidders must have a module production capacity of 150 MW yearly to engage in the competitive bidding process. Bidders should have provided crystalline silicon modules with 300 W and above for a minimum capacity of 100 MW in India. Of this, above 10 MW or more modules should have been provided for one solar plant with a minimum capacity of 10 MW. In the last three financial years, the bidder’s yearly average turnover should be more than Rs 660 million. The successful bidder has to render a ten years warranty for solar modules with a peak production capacity of not less than 90% at the end of 10 years and 80% at the end of 25 years. The successful bidder must render a bank guarantee of Rs 1 million per MW of module capacity. The bank guarantee should be valid for 25 years and 90 days. The modules should have a minimum efficiency of 15% and a minimum fill factor of 0.75%. Modules must operate satisfactorily with temperatures between -40° C and 85° C and humidity up to 85% and must withstand unfavourable climate conditions. BHEL has fixed 25% of the offered quantity for micro and small enterprise (MSE) suppliers. Of the 25% fixed for MSE suppliers, 6.25% has been allocated for acquisition by MSEs held by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs, and 3% for women-owned MSEs. Earlier this month, BHEL floated tenders to provide 7.361 million monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear (PERC) solar cells with a wattage output of 5.38 W. It had additionally issued expressions of interest from global manufacturers of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules to provide poly or monocrystalline PERC solar modules of 330 W or above, in 5 W band only. Image Source Also read: BHEL floats O&M tender for 1.1 MW rooftop solar project