Bangladesh Invites Bids for 68 MW Solar Project in Sirajganj Region

The Bangladesh-China Renewable Energy Company (BCRECL) has invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of a 68 MW solar energy project on a turnkey basis in Sirajganj, Bangladesh, including the construction of a 15 km 132 kV double circuit transmission line with a substation bay.

BCRECL is a joint venture between the North-West Power Generation Company (a subsidiary of the Bangladesh Power Development Board) and China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation.

The project is to be completed within 540 days from the effective date of the contract. The deadline for bid submission and the date of bid opening is September 27, 2021, and the pre-bid meeting is scheduled for August 24. Successful bidders will have to submit $1.5 million as a performance bank guarantee.

BCRECL specifies the following eligibility criteria for successful bidders:

• Average Annual Turnover: Minimum average annual turnover of USD 100 million within the last three years.
• Financial Resources: Bidder’s financial resources minus its financial obligations for its current contract commitments must meet or exceed the total requirement of USD 30 million.
• General Experience: Experience in the role of contractor for at least seven years prior to the submission date.
• Specific Experience: Participation as EPC contractor in at least two solar PV projects, both of which should be outside the bidder’s home country, each with minimum capacity of 50 MW (AC), within the last five years that have been successfully completed. Such power plants should be in continuous commercial operation for minimum one year prior to bid closing date. The scope should include design, installation, testing, commissioning of PV plant and auxiliaries including grid connection.

In May this year, Electricity Generation Company of Bangladesh Limited, an electricity and utility company owned by the Bangladesh Development Board, signed an MoU with Marubeni Corporation for the joint development of a 100 MW solar PV power plant project in Chittagong, Bangladesh.