State-owned engineering firm BHEL on Monday said it has bagged its first ever overseas order for a grid- connected solar power project in Mauritius. The project will be set up by BHEL at Tamarind Falls, Henrietta (Phase II), Mauritius on 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 MWac Solar Photovoltaic (PV) power plant," it said.

The contract has been awarded to BHEL by CEB (Green Energy) Co. Ltd, Mauritius, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Central Electricity Board, Government of Mauritius. '

The project is funded under Government of India'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 (approximately 2,100 MW) and equipment supplies in 23 African countries.