BHEL Tenders for Supply of Multi-crystalline Solar PV Cells

The Solar Business Division of BHEL has issued a tender for the supply of multi-crystalline solar PV cells

The Solar Business Division (formerly Electric and Photovoltaic Division) of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) has issued a tender for the supply of multi-crystalline solar photovoltaic (PV) cells (157 mm-5BB-4.62 Wp) as per BHEL technical specification.

It has been specified that the cells must be 157×157 ± 1.0mm in dimensions and 220 microns thick ± 20 microns. They must be five bus bars long, and the acceptable multiple wattages for the cells will be in the range between 4.52W and 4.82W. BHEL is looking to procure 2.86 lakh cells to be used in its solar projects.

Further, the cells should be free of visual defects, chipping, cracks, printing defects, misalignments, finger knots, grid line interruptions, fingerprint interruptions, paste smudges, or stains on either surface. They must have a homogenous silicon nitride coating without any colour variations. The bus line silver must not be tarnished or oxidised.

The last date for bid submission is December 4, 2020, and the techno-commercial bids will be opened on the same date. The date and time of opening of the price bids will be intimated to the technically and commercially cleared bidders at a later date.

To be eligible for participating in the bidding process, the bidders must have an in-house crystalline silicon solar cell manufacturing capacity of (at least) 60 MW per annum. And they must have previously supplied PV cells to reputed module manufacturers who have been certified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). They must also have previously supplied four million pieces of M2-sized multi-crystalline cells to Indian module makers outside the vendors’ country of origin.

Financially, the bidders must have an average annual turnover of Rs 4.35 million in the last three financial years.

In June, BHEL had issued a tender for the manufacturing and supply of 1.2 crore multi-crystalline solar cells (156.75 mm-5BB-4.62 Wp). As per the tender, BHEL was seeking the supply of 12 million solar cells, and the deadline for delivery of the cells was July 31, 2020, for the first 4 million cells, followed by September 30, 2020, for the delivery of the remainder of the 8 million solar cells.