JSW Energy Wins 125 MW/500 MWh BESS Tender From SECI At ₹441,000/MW/Month

JSW Energy has recently secured a 125 MW/500 MWh standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) tender from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI). JSW won the tender at ₹441,000/MW/month. SECI floated this tender in December 2024 and declared it within two months.

As per the tender, SECI, after receiving interest from the Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL), released the tender to facilitate the installation and utilization of energy storage systems on an “On-Demand” basis. The tender is designed to cater to peak and off-peak hour requirements. Additionally, the bidder of SECIs BESS tender is now eligible for Viability Gap Funding (VGF), which is limited to either ₹27 lakh/MWh or 30% of the capital cost for the BESS, whichever is lower. The project must achieve financial closure within nine months of the effective date of the Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement (BESPA).

Previous Tenders: A Brief Comparison

Last year, Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RVUNL) floated a 500 MW/1,000 MWh standalone BESS tender with 30% VGF support, attracting bids at ₹2.21 lakh/MWh. Solar World Energy led with the lowest bid and secured 125 MW/250 MWh, while Oriana Power won 50 MW/100 MWh with a bid of ₹2.22 lakh/MWh. Rays Power Experts bid ₹2.23 lakh/MWh and was awarded 75 MW/150 MWh. The largest component was secured by JSW Neo Energy with a bid of ₹2.24 lakh/MWh for 250 MW/500 MWh.

At the onset of 2025, NHPC concluded one of the first solar-plus-storage tenders of 1.2 GW. The tender also included a 600 MW/1,200 MWh energy storage system (ESS). NHPC awarded the project to Onix Renewables at ₹3.09/kWh and to three other companies. Other winning bidders are Jindal India Renewable Energy, Kolar Solar Power, and NTPC REL. They secured 100 MW, 180 MW, 150 MW, and 300 MW, respectively. For Jindal India, this was their first win in the segment.

According to the NHPC tender results, “The remaining two winning bidders, ReNew Solar Power and Adani Renewable Energy Holding, secured 300 MW and 170 MW, respectively, at ₹3.10/kWh.” The tender was released in September, and the results were declared within five months.