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Railways Floats Tender for 5 MW Rooftop Solar Project Across Kolkata Metro Facilities

The Ministry of Railways has invited bids for the installation of a 5 MW grid-connected rooftop solar project at Noapara metro station and other designated buildings under the Kolkata Metro Railways network.

The bid submission deadline is February 11, 2026, with bids scheduled to be opened on the same day. Interested bidders are required to furnish an earnest money deposit (EMD) of Rs1.8 million, while the project carries an estimated value of Rs338.69 million.

The tender scope includes the design, engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of flexible-module rooftop solar photovoltaic systems. In addition to project execution, the selected contractor will be responsible for comprehensive operations and maintenance (O&M) for five years following commissioning.

As part of the technical requirements, bidders must supply and install inverters, provide lightning protection arrangements, and establish a robust earthing system. The systems must be maintained through bi-weekly cleaning throughout the five-year warranty period to ensure optimal performance. The solar installations are required to achieve a minimum capacity utilization factor (CUF) of 15%.

To qualify, bidders must have completed or substantially completed solar projects within the past seven years, meeting at least one of the following experience criteria:

• Three grid-connected solar projects, each valued at a minimum of 30% of the tender value
• Two grid-connected solar projects, each valued at least 40% of the tender value
• One grid-connected solar project valued at no less than 60% of the tender value

Bidders must also hold a valid electrical contractor’s license issued by the government. However, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of solar modules or inverters are exempt from this licensing requirement.

On the financial front, bidders are required to demonstrate a minimum average annual contractual turnover equivalent to V/N or V, whichever is lower. Here, V represents the advertised tender value (in crore rupees), and N denotes the number of years prescribed for project completion. The turnover will be calculated based on the average of total contractual payments received over the past three financial years.