Ash handling plants face dry-ash revenue risk at Rihand
Ash handling plants contractors bidding for NTPC Rihand’s Rs 300 crore ash transportation package face a major commercial risk hidden inside the sourcing clause. The tender covers slab-wise ash transportation from Rihand ash dyke to NHAI, PMGSY and other government road projects up to 300km. Ash handling plants under this package involve excavation, loading, covered dumper or closed-container transportation and unloading at project sites. EnergylineIndia.com highlights this update for readers tracking NTPC thermal projects and Latest EPC power projects. The tender uses two-packet composite bidding through GeM, with reverse auction not enabled. The award strategy allows contract splitting among six bidders, including one reserved share for an eligible SC-ST MSE bidder. Ash handling plants procurement is unusual because NTPC can supply dry fly ash directly from silos, in which case excavation and loading payments will not be made. That clause can reduce contractor revenue by Rs 124.14 per CuM, based on excavation at Rs 87.39 per CuM and loading at Rs 36.75 per CuM. Ash handling plants contractors must therefore account for fleet deployment, equipment recovery, route productivity and source-mix uncertainty. Ash handling plants at Rihand signal a shift toward ash utilisation as an infrastructure supply chain, Ash Handling Plants, NTPC Tender, Rihand Ash Dyke, Ash Logistics, Thermal Procurement.