SECI Announces 125 MW Odisha Standalone BESS Tender

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a request for selection (RfS) to develop six standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Odisha, with a combined capacity of 125 MW/500 MWh.

The projects include five BESS units of 20 MW/80 MWh each and one unit of 25 MW/100 MWh. These projects will be implemented under a build-own-operate (BOO) model and will be located within identified state transmission utility substations at Padampur, New Bolangir, Bhatli, Basta, Narendrapur, and Tentuli Khunti.

Viability gap funding (VGF) for each BESS developer is capped at ₹1.8 million per MWh of the awarded project capacity. Bid submission is open until January 21, 2026, and bids will be opened on January 26, 2026.

The scope of work covers development, ownership, and operation of the standalone BESS projects, with an operations and maintenance period of up to 15 years from the scheduled commissioning date. Bidders are required to submit an earnest money deposit of ₹900,000 per MW, along with a tender document fee of ₹220,000 and a bid processing fee of ₹220,000 per MW, subject to a maximum of ₹21.5 million.

Successful bidders must provide a performance bank guarantee of ₹22.25 million per MW. The selected developers are required to make the BESS available for at least one operational charge-discharge cycle per day and a maximum of two cycles per day, with a maximum of 420 operational cycles in a contract year. They must ensure a minimum system availability of 95% annually.

The full project must be commissioned within 18 months from the effective date of the BESS purchase agreement. Liquidated damages will apply for delays in commissioning, including encashment of the performance guarantee for delays of up to six months. If commissioning exceeds six months, the battery energy storage purchase agreement will be terminated for the uncommissioned capacity.

Earlier this month,Mahanadi Coalfields invited expressions of interest to set up a 60 MWh BESS project in Odisha. In August, SECI had also issued a request for proposal to select a supplier for a 600 MW/1,200 MWh standalone grid-connected BESS project at Kolimigundla, Nandyal District, Andhra Pradesh.