BHEL on Monday said it had bagged its first-ever overseas order for a grid-connected solar power project in Mauritius. The project will be set up by the State-owned engineering company at Tamarind Falls, Henrietta (Phase-II), Mauritius on an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) basis, BHEL said in a statement. “BHEL has achieved yet another milestone in international business by securing its maiden overseas turnkey contract for a grid-connected 8 mw solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant,” it said.

The contract has been awarded to BHEL by CEB (Green Energy) Co, Mauritius, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Electricity Board, Government of Mauritius. The project is funded under the Indian government’s line of credit and has been secured by BHEL through a competitive-bidding process.

The project will be executed by BHEL’s Solar Business Division, Bengaluru, and International Operations Division, New Delhi. It marks the consolidation of BHEL’s presence in Africa, where it has been active for more than four decades with electricity generation projects of approximately 2,100 mw and equipment supplies in 23 African countries.