Fresh push for Bainguinim waste plant as bid deadline extended

MAPUSA
In a renewed effort to push forward the long-delayed Bainguinim solid waste management project, the Goa Waste Management Corporation (GWMC) has extended the deadline for submission of bids under its Request for Qualification (RFQ) to October 31.
The corporation, on Friday, issued a corrigendum to the RFQ initially floated in August this year, extending the earlier submission deadline from September 26. Officials confirmed that all terms and conditions remain unchanged, except for an expanded eligibility clause.
According to GWMC Managing Director Harish Adconkar, the tender seeks bidders for the design, engineering, financing, construction, supply, installation, commissioning, performance run and operation and maintenance of a 100-tonne-per-day (TPD) capacity solid waste processing facility at Bainguinim for a 15-year concession period. The facility will be based on recycling and sorting lines, segregation, bio-methanation and composting systems.
In a bid to attract more participants, the eligibility criteria have been broadened to include entities that have previously set up sewage treatment plants generating bio-gas, in addition to solid waste processing experience. At least five companies participated in the pre-bid meeting held last month, signalling renewed interest in the project, which has been stalled for years.
Project delays
Originally proposed in 2019 as a 250 TPD plant, the Bainguinim facility has faced repeated delays due to technical, administrative and public opposition.
In May 2022, GWMC revised the project’s scope to a smaller 100 TPD capacity to align with the expanded Saligao plant (now 250 TPD) and to make the tender more commercially viable. The revised project is estimated to cost around Rs 120 crore.
The updated RFQ also lays down specific financial and technical eligibility criteria for prospective bidders: Financial eligibility: Minimum average annual turnover of Rs 60 crore over the last three years; Positive profit (before depreciation and tax) in at least three of the last five years; A solvency certificate of Rs 48 crore from a nationalised bank.
Technical requirements: Applicants must meet at least two of the following: Constructed a ≥100 TPD solid waste management facility in the past 10 years costing at least Rs 66.5 crore; Operated a ≥100 TPD SWM facility compliant with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, for at least one year; Installed facilities processing significant volumes, i.e., 36,000 tonnes per year, or equivalent combinations thereof.
With the extended deadline and relaxed eligibility norms, GWMC hopes to finally get the long-pending Bainguinim project off the ground “ a crucial step toward easing Goa’s waste management challenges.