Jharkhand Renewable Energy Development Agency (JREDA) has issued a Request for Selection Proposals (RfS) to solicit bids for the deployment of 8,000 off-grid solar pumping systems across various capacities. This initiative is part of Component B under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) program. The primary objective of this endeavor is to offer sustainable energy solutions to farmers and promote agricultural productivity through the use of solar energy.
The selected vendors will undertake the comprehensive task of designing, manufacturing, supplying, transporting, installing, testing, and commissioning stand-alone off-grid Solar Photovoltaic Water Pumping Systems (SPWPS) in the state of Jharkhand. This includes a commitment to provide a full system warranty and undertake repairs and maintenance for five years. Component B of the PM-KUSUM scheme, overseen by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), seeks to empower farmers without access to electricity by facilitating the adoption of solar-powered water pumping systems.
The program’s implementation is driven by demand, focusing on beneficiaries who lack electricity connectivity at their farms. Priority consideration will be given to small and marginal farmers, ensuring that those with the most pressing needs are catered to first.
To participate in the bidding process, interested parties must submit an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) in the form of a Bank Guarantee. The EMD should amount to 2% of the value equivalent to 6% of the total cumulative allocation or 25 units of SPWPS, whichever is greater. However, the EMD is capped at a maximum of 1000 pumps.
Upon selection by JREDA based on the RfS, successful bidders are required to furnish a Performance Guarantee, the value of which should be 3% of the amount equivalent to 6% of the total allocation or 25 units of SPWPS, with the same maximum limit of 1000 pumps.
The awarded vendors bear the responsibility of adhering to the terms stipulated in the Letter of Award (LoA) and Notice to Proceed (NTP), in addition to complying with the tender terms, specifications, and scheme guidelines.
JREDA retains the prerogative to decline any or all of the responses to the RfS, cancel the RfS altogether, or terminate the bidding process for any project at any stage, without the obligation to provide explanations. In the event of the tender’s cancellation, any processing fees (exclusive of GST, if credited to JREDA’s account) and EMD submitted by the bidders will be promptly returned, without any interest.
One of the key prerequisites for potential bidders is direct experience in successfully executing the design, supply, erection, testing, installation, and commissioning of 480 standalone (off-grid) solar PV-based water pump sets. This experience should be within any government department, PSU (Public Sector Undertaking), or SNA (State Nodal Agency) at either the state or central level in India. This experience should be within the seven years preceding the bid submission deadline, which falls on September 4, 2023.
