Coal India Limited and Onward Solar Power Pvt Ltd have jointly won a major standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) auction conducted by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). The project, awarded under SECI’s BESS Auction Round 1 (Tranche-5), involves setting up a 125 MW / 500 MWh standalone battery storage facility in the state of Odisha.
SECI officially announced the auction results, which showed that Coal India and Onwards Solar Power were the winning bidders. The goal of the project is to make the grid more flexible in the area and help renewable energy sources work together by storing extra power and releasing it when needed. This will help balance supply and demand.
The award says that the winning bidders will be in charge of designing, building, starting up, running, and maintaining the BESS facility. The project will be built, owned, and run by the same company, and there will be a 25-year power supply agreement that will help keep the grid stable for a long time.
Helping to Balance Renewable Power and Grid Demand
As India’s renewable energy capacity grows quickly, standalone BESS projects are becoming more and more important in the power sector. These systems help collect extra electricity that is made when there is a lot of solar or wind power, store it, and send it out during peak hours in the evening or when there are problems with intermittency.
SECI’s BESS auction attracted competitive bidding from multiple developers, reflecting strong industry interest in storage solutions. The 125 MW/500 MWh capacity awarded to Coal India and Onward Solar is expected to provide valuable energy storage infrastructure that can deliver both frequency support and time-shifted power to the grid.
A spokesperson from SECI said, “Standalone BESS projects are key to enabling flexible and reliable integration of renewables in India’s power system.” They noted that the initiative aligns with national goals for grid modernization and renewable energy growth.
Coal India & Onward Solar: Expanding Clean Energy Role
This is a big step for Coal India because it is going beyond its usual work in coal mining to work in clean energy and energy storage. Onwards Solar Power has experience developing renewable energy projects, so they can help with project execution and technical know-how in the partnership.
In a joint statement, the companies said, “We are committed to deploying advanced battery storage technology that supports India’s transition to a sustainable and reliable energy future.”
The BESS project in Odisha should start up in the next few months, after getting all the necessary approvals and getting everything ready for the project. When it is up and running, the facility will help improve the performance of the grid, support the use of renewable energy, and make the region’s energy supply more secure.
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