India’s largest power utility, NTPC, has issued a major Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) tender for the installation of 2,670 MWh (2.67 GWh) of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across nine of its thermal power stations located in six Indian states. The tender marks one of the largest single-lot BESS procurements by a government-owned utility in the country and underlines NTPC’s aggressive push into grid-scale energy storage.
The tender, floated under Lot-2, invites bids from eligible EPC players for the end-to-end execution of the project, including supply, installation, testing and long-term maintenance of battery systems. Bidders have been given time until December 30, 2025, to submit their proposals, with technical and financial bids expected to be opened on the same day.
Strong Financial Qualification Criteria
To ensure serious participation from capable players, NTPC has introduced strict financial qualification requirements. The Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) has been structured based on system capacity size, ensuring committed participation from large-scale developers and integrators.
- Projects up to 100 MWh will require an EMD of ₹20 million
- Systems between 101–350 MWh require ₹50 million
- 351–650 MWh require ₹100 million
- 651–1,600 MWh require ₹200 million
Full-capacity bids up to 2,670 MWh require ₹500 million
Additionally, selected bidders must provide a performance bank guarantee equivalent to 10% of the contract value. An additional 4% guarantee is required for Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) coverage.
Comprehensive Technical Scope
The scope of work under the tender includes complete system engineering and deployment, covering:
- Battery units and battery racks
- Battery Management System (BMS)
- Energy Management System (EMS)
- Power Conversion Systems (PCS) and inverters
- Medium-voltage switchgear and protection systems
- Communication and SCADA integration
- Remote monitoring and control systems
- Auxiliary power infrastructure
- Civil and structural works
Testing, commissioning, training and long-term O&M services
Maintenance responsibility for the awarded contractors will extend for 11 to 14 years, depending on project location.
Strict Project Timelines and Penalties
Project timelines range from 15 to 18 months based on site readiness and plant infrastructure. NTPC has also imposed liquidated damages in case of delays — with penalties of 0.5% of contract value per week, capped at a maximum of 5%.
Thermal plants such as Barauni, Khargone and Vallur have been assigned extended completion timelines due to site-specific integration needs.
Strategic Shift Toward Storage-Backed Power Infrastructure
This tender represents a strategic pivot by NTPC toward energy storage integration as India scales up renewable energy capacity. By pairing batteries with conventional thermal assets, NTPC aims to build operational flexibility, enable peak-shaving operations, stabilize frequency regulation and prepare the grid for high levels of solar and wind absorption.
The deployment will transform thermal plants into hybrid generation-storage hubs, allowing NTPC to play a central role in India’s evolving clean-energy architecture. The tender also opens a massive opportunity window for battery manufacturers, EPC players, inverter suppliers and system integrators operating in India’s fast-growing energy storage ecosystem.
Industry observers view this tender as a signal that grid-scale battery storage in India has now entered full-scale execution mode.
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