Two firms in race for NHPC’s Salal hydro project
NHPC Limited has opened the financial bids for the civil and hydro-mechanical works package to restore the functionality of the undersluices of the Salal Power Station dam in Jammu & Kashmir. Following the technical evaluation, two firms, Hindustan Construction Co. Ltd. (HCC) and Patel Engineering Limited, remain in the race, with HCC emerging as the lowest bidder (L1).
The tender covers the “Lot-1 Package: Civil and Hydro-Mechanical (HM) works, including associated ancillary and enabling works” at the Salal Power Station.
Financial bids
According to the comparative bid analysis, HCC quoted Rs 524.18 crore, including taxes, while Patel Engineering submitted a bid of Rs 542.00 crore, including taxes.
Although HCC emerged as the overall L1 bidder, the lowest quotations varied across individual price schedules. Patel Engineering quoted lower rates for Price Schedule-1 at Rs 395.12 crore and Schedule-4 at Rs 5.77 crore. HCC submitted the lowest bids for Schedule-3 at Rs 103.10 crore and Schedule-5 at Rs 17.13 crore. Both companies quoted Rs 0 for Schedule-2.
Earlier, the tender evaluation committee had declared HCC and Patel Engineering techno-commercially responsive, making them eligible for the opening of financial bids. A third bidder, PES-KSR Salal JV, was found techno-commercially non-responsive and was not considered for financial evaluation.
About the project
The contract is aimed at making the undersluices of the Salal Power Station’s concrete dam fully functional and operational.
Salal Power Station is a 690 MW run-of-the-river hydroelectric project on the Chenab River in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. Owned by NHPC, it comprises Stage I (3 × 115 MW) and Stage II (3 × 115 MW). The generating units were commissioned in 1987, 1993, 1994 and 1995.
The project was India’s first hydropower project in Jammu & Kashmir developed under the Indus Waters Treaty framework. The dam is 130 metres high and is located at an elevation of 1,627 feet above mean sea level.
Jammu & Kashmir receives 12.5% of the electricity generated by the project, while the remaining power is supplied to the Northern Grid.
Photo credit: NHPC
