New Delhi: Acting under the scope of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) in September this year, state-run NTPC Limited has invited Expression of Interest (EoI) for various solarisation projects in 47 Least Developed Countries (LDC) and Small-Island Developing States (SIDS) who are members of the ISA. "ISA intends to provide financial assistance to 47 Nos. LDCs and SIDS member countries "Member Countries" for implementation of pilot projects across 3 themes viz. ISA CARES Initiative, ISA Solar Water Pumping Programme (SWPS), and ISA Solar Cold Storage Initiative," said the tender document floated by NTPC.
ISA has engaged NTPC as a corporate partner and as an implementation partner (Project Management Consultant) for these demonstration projects. "NTPC plans to provide end-to-end support to ISA by coordinating and supervising the projects starting from need assessment to the final commissioning and handing over of the project to member country," said the document. "The purpose of this EOI is also to determine the capability and capacity and willingness of applicants," it added. The last date for submission of EOIs is January 4, 2021, and the bids will be opened on January 5, 2021.
The list of projects for which NTPC has invited EoIs includes the setting up and maintenance of solar-powered cold storage (5MT), solar water pumps for agricultural purpose (1 to 5 HP), solar-powered RO water system (5,000 LPD), off-grid solar PV system for primary health care centres (5-6 KW with Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), and a combination of these projects. "The applicants are required to execute solarisation projects on turnkey basis including engineering, supply, erection, commissioning, warranty/maintenance support for a period of three years," said the tender document.
According to the tender document, these projects are to be executed in various LDC and SIDS in Asia, Caribbean, East Africa, Oceania, South America and West Africa regions. The list of countries includes Maldives, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Haiti, Cuba, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Trinidad, Tobago, Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia, Uganda, Mauritius, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Senegal, Togo, among others.
To participate in the bidding process, the bidder should have experience in supply, erection, and commissioning of similar projects in India and abroad. Such projects should have been in successful operation for more than three years. The bidder should either be a manufacturer of similar project equipment or systems or system integrators for similar projects after procuring the equipment from reputed suppliers of such equipment.
The bidder should have the necessary organizational capacity in at least one of the countries in the chosen region on its own or through a sub-contractor. The bidder should have the requisite financial capability to undertake projects in the member countries.
At ISA's first World Solar Technology Summit (WSTS) in September, it had signed a MoU with NTPC for implementing solar energy projects in 47 member countries of ISA.
As part of its goal to reduce the cost of finance for solar projects, and the cost of solar technology, ISA plans to mobilise more than USD 1,000 billion of solar investments by 2030. It intends to implement demonstration projects in its LDC and SIDS member countries through the technical and financial assistance of approximately USD 3 million.
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