BHEL has issued a request for proposals for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of a 1.5 MW solar project in Ramachandrapuram, Hyderabad. A security deposit of 5% of the order value must be submitted by the winning bidder. If the job is awarded, the agency is required to pay 50% of the security deposit before work can begin. To be considered for the bidding process, the bidder's average annual financial turnover over the previous three years must be at least 30% of the estimated cost of Rs175,000. The bidder must have completed three similar works, each costing not less than 40% of the estimated cost, totalling Rs 233,000, or two similar works, totalling Rs 292,000, or one similar work costing not less than 80% of the estimated cost, totalling Rs 466,000. The bidder must have a BHEL-issued experience certificate. If the experience certificate is from a company other than BHEL, it must be accompanied by a Form 26 AS and an agreement. Before submitting a bid, bidders should inspect the job site and surrounding areas and become familiar with the actual working and other prevailing conditions, material placement, and labour-related procedures and practices. The deadline for bid submissions is 29 July 2021, and the bids will be opened on that date. The tender's contract period has been set at one year. For each week or part of a week that the agency delays in completing work, a penalty of 0.50 % of the contract value will be assessed, with a maximum penalty of 10% of the contract value. The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company's 10 MW solar project at Santaldih was awarded an O&M works contract by BHEL in March of this year. The scope of work involves providing O&M services, such as water cleaning about 35,000 modules, grass maintenance, logging of DC, AC, and grid parameters according to BHEL's format, annual transformer maintenance, testing, and calibrating the 33 kV high-tension equipment, and annual transformer maintenance. Image Source Also read: NTPC Invites bids for 500 MW grid-connected solar projects