NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) has issued an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) tender under International Competitive Bidding (ICB) for setting up a 250 MW / 1,000 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at its Bikaner Solar Plant in Rajasthan.

The project is designed to deliver single-cycle energy with a four-hour discharge duration, supporting grid stability and renewable energy integration in one of India’s fastest-growing solar hubs.

Project Configuration

Project: EPC for 1,000 MWh BESS
Power Rating: 250 MW
Discharge Duration: 4 hours (single-cycle operation)
Project Location: Bikaner Solar Plant, Rajasthan
Design Life: 25 years from Commercial Operation Date (CoD)
Battery Life Requirement: Minimum 10,000 operating cycles
Energy Capacity: 1,000 MWh (1 GWh)

Scope of Work

The EPC scope includes:

Design, engineering, supply, installation, testing, and commissioning of the BESS
Integration with existing solar power plant and grid infrastructure
Comprehensive 15-year O&M, including associated warranty and service level agreements;
System sizing with auxiliary consumption and reactive power compensation;
Minimum 10,000 charge-discharge cycles over life;
Guaranteed dispatchable capacity of ≥ 92 % at Point of Injection (POI) throughout the contract.

Performance Guarantees

Bidders are required to guarantee:

100% rated dispatchable capacity at CoD
95% dispatchable capacity in the first year
Minimum 92% dispatchable capacity at the Point of Interconnection (POI) across all 15 years

The performance guarantees must account for degradation consistent with daily single-cycle operation.

Eligibility Criteria (Key Highlights)

The bidder must have manufactured and supplied at least 80 MWh of grid-interactive BESS cumulatively
At least one single supply order of minimum 20 MWh must have been executed
The reference BESS project must have been operational for at least six months prior to techno-commercial bid opening
Minimum one year of experience in industrial projects outside renewables
At least six months of experience in renewable energy project development

Tender Timeline

Bidding System: Single Stage – Two Envelope (Techno-Commercial + Price Bid) followed by Reverse Auction
Qualifying Requirements: Proven experience in grid-interactive BESS projects with operational performance criteria specified in the IFB
Tender invitation date: 12 February 2026
Initial bid window (as per tender notice): 12–23 February 2026
Updated bid submission deadline (as per tender schedule/corrigendum): 11 March 2026

(Bidders are advised to track the NTPC e-tender portal for exact dates, corrigenda, and bid opening schedules.)