Solar Energy Corporation of India has floated a tender for setting up 5 MW of solar projects at the VO Chidambaram Port Trust (VOCPT) in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. The scope of work for the selected developers will include the design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing and commissioning of the solar power plant at the port. Further, the selected bidders will have to provide comprehensive operations and maintenance services for the plant for a period of 10 years. This will include the supply and storage of all mandatory spare parts, consumables, repairs or replacement of any defective equipment. As per the financial requirement of the tender, the bidder should have a positive net worth and the minimum average annual turnover of the bidder in the last three financial years should be Rs 89.6 million. The last date for submission of bids is August 21, 2020.
There has been an increasing trend of solarising ports. Earlier in November 2019, The Cochin Port Trust (CoPT) invited bids for both rooftop and floating solar power projects at its premises. Initially, around 14 blocks of a residential building with flat roofs will be available in Kochi for the project along with about 4 km of surrounding water bodies. Moreover, in January 2019, Visakhapatnam port announced that it has been running on 100 per cent solar energy since it commissioned a 10 MW captive solar power project in May 2016.