NLC India Wins 265 MW/530 MWh Haryana BESS Project

NLC India Renewables Limited (NIRL) has secured a 265 MW/530 MWh standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project from SJVN in Haryana at a discovered tariff of ₹2.35 lakh per MW per month. The project will be implemented for Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (UHBVNL), with SJVN serving as the Renewable Energy Implementing Agency (REIA).

The two-hour duration BESS project is divided into two components. Project-1 comprises 250 MW/500 MWh, while Project-2 covers 15 MW/30 MWh. The tender was floated by SJVN in July 2026 and awarded a month later, adding another large-scale standalone storage project to Haryana’s emerging energy storage portfolio.

NIRL to Provide Storage Capacity on Demand

Under the project scope, NIRL will make the BESS capacity available to UHBVNL on an on-demand basis to meet the distribution utility’s peak and off-peak power requirements. The two-hour storage configuration is intended to provide flexibility in managing electricity demand through the charging and discharge of stored power.

The project is supported through Viability Gap Funding (VGF). The funding structure provides for VGF of up to ₹18 lakh per MWh, subject to the applicable scheme provisions, as a one-time, non-recurring expenditure.

For Project-1, the BESS capacity is supported through funding under the Power System Development Fund (PSDF). Project-2, consisting of 15 MW/30 MWh, comes under the State Component of the VGF Scheme, with funding earmarked for a cumulative 30 MWh of BESS capacity allocated to Haryana.

Under the State Component, eligible developers can receive VGF of up to ₹18 lakh per MWh or 30% of the capital cost, as applicable. The grant will be provided as a one-time, non-recurring expenditure through the Central Grant under the State Component of the VGF Scheme.

Other Bidders in the Tender

The tender attracted participation from several BESS developers, including Rama Reflection India, SolarWorld Energy, Pace Digitek, Sun Drop Energia and Oriana Power. However, these companies did not make it to the final selection.

The award further expands NLC India Renewables’ participation in the renewable energy and energy storage segment, while SJVN’s role as REIA positions the project within Haryana’s broader efforts to deploy standalone storage capacity.

Haryana BESS Tariff Moves Higher

The ₹2.35 lakh/MW/month tariff discovered in the latest tender is higher than the tariff recorded in SJVN’s earlier Haryana BESS tender.

In that earlier tender, SJVN awarded a 250 MW/500 MWh standalone BESS project in Panipat to Hardi Hydro Energy Pvt Ltd at a tariff of ₹1.97 lakh/MW/month. The latest award therefore represents an increase of ₹38,000 per MW per month compared with the earlier SJVN-discovered tariff.

At the same time, the latest Haryana tariff remains below tariffs discovered in a BESS tender conducted by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL). In that tender, Oriana Power secured projects at ₹2.38 lakh/MW/month and ₹2.40 lakh/MW/month, while GK Energy secured a project at ₹2.38 lakh/MW/month.

530 MWh Storage Capacity for Haryana

With 530 MWh of total storage capacity, the NLC India project adds a substantial standalone BESS installation to Haryana’s power system. The project’s on-demand operating structure will allow UHBVNL to use the storage capacity according to its peak and off-peak electricity requirements.

The combination of standalone storage, long-duration two-hour capacity and VGF support reflects the increasing use of financial mechanisms to facilitate large-scale BESS deployment. The Haryana project also adds to the growing pipeline of utility-scale storage tenders being awarded across Indian states as distribution utilities seek greater flexibility in managing electricity demand and integrating variable renewable power.