Energy Bangla

An Indian private company has requested the government of Bangladesh to relax the bidding qualifications of contractors for awarding engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract for the proposed solar power plant at   Sirajganj.
For awarding the EPC contract for the 7.6MW solar power plant, state run North-West Power Generation Company invited bids from international contractors having at least 10 years’ experience in general construction and five years’ in solar EPC.
Specific qualifying  experience set by NWPGC includes: participation contractor, management contractor or subcontractor in at least two 10MW solar power projects, similar to its project, of which one was successfully completed outside the bidder’s own country, within last five years, in commercial operation for at least two years.
Hindustan Power in a letter requested state minister for power, energy and mineral resources Nasrul Hamid to drop 10 years’ experience in general construction laid down in the tender as among the bidders’ eligibility.
The Indian company also said in the letter that five years’ experience in solar EPC work  should be the upper limit of the lone qualification condition.
The Indian firm also said that there would be ‘hardly any bidder’ and the ‘bid process may fail’ unless its suggestions were accepted.
The Indian company also requested for extending the last day for bid submissions to March 10, 2016.
Officials said that state minister’s office received the letter on January 13.
On December 17, 2015, NWPGC invited international contractors to submit the bids for the EPC contract by February 8, 2016.
Asked for his comments, NWPGC managing director AM Khurshedul Alam told that there was no scope to alter the bidders’ qualifications.
He said that only the last date of  submission of bids could be  changed if at least 50 per cent of the bidders request for it.
Already, he said, 33 companies  bought tender documents. NWPGC plans to set up the solar power plant by 2017 to feed the grid.
Eligible bidders also require to have average annual turnover of $20 million calculated as total certified payments received for contracts in progress or completed, in past three years.