NTPC REL Issues 2.5 GW BESS Tender For Its Thermal Plant

NTPC REL recently released a tender to develop a 2500 MW/10,000 MWH Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project. The NTPC subsidiary has planned the project as spread across NTPC thermal power stations. The last date to submit the bids is February 17, 2025. 

The tender document elaborated on the project’s capacity. It mentioned, “The battery storage project would have a total capacity of 2500 MW/10000 MWh. Each station would have a capacity of 500MW/2000 MWh. The project would have a tentative minimum bid size of 250 MW 1000 MWh. (Two blocks of 250 MW for each plant.) All capacities measured at 400KV/220 KV interconnecting point.”

BESS Design 

Elaborating on the BESS Service Life, the tender stated, “The BESS Designed service life would be 20 years for daily single cycle operation. O&M of 10 years is included in the scope of this project. The bidder would undertake a Battery System, Battery Management System (BMS), Energy Management System (EMS) and SCADA, Power Conversion System (PCS), Protection System, Communication System, HT & LT System, Auxiliary power system, Fire Fighting, remote control and monitoring, and all other associated materials and accessories necessary for trouble-free operation and maintenance of the BESS system. Comprehensive Operation and Maintenance (O&M) works of BESS system for 10 years from the date of successful completion of trial run.”

BESS plants at thermal stations makes a lot of sense considering the ready access to land, transmission connectivity, and alignment with power demand. They also offer thermal operators the ability to offer faster response to demand by filling in the time needed to power up a thermal plant. The move seems to be preparatory to a future with a higher share of renewables in the grid, where merit order rules might place thermal stations after renewables at times of excess demand.

Rise In Battery Storage Tenders

Battery storage tenders in the country are now on the rise with several central tendering agencies and state agencies jumping onto the bandwagon. While several agencies are issuing standalone BESS tenders, some are also issuing tenders of renewable energy projects with an obligation to complement it with BESS support. For example the Odisha Renewable Energy Development Agency (OREDA), recently also released a tender for 4 MW on-grid rooftop solar system battery backup.

Wind energy companies like Envision Energy India are also exploring battery storage options alongside wind energy projects. For instance, at the beginning of the year, the company signed an agreement with Juniper Green Energy (JGE) for the supply of 200 EN 182| 5MW turbine platforms and its maiden 320 MWh BESS (Battery Energy Storage Systems). JGE will deploy the wind turbine generators (WTG) for various projects won under state and central auctions, and the BESS package for the Firm Dispatchable Renewable Energy (FDRE) project awarded by SJVN under its first FDRE auction.