NVVN Seeks Bids to Set Up 250 MW/500 MWh Standalone BESS

NVVN Seeks Bids to Set Up 250 MW/500 MWh Standalone BESS

NTPC subsidiary, Vidyut Vyapar Nigam Limited (NVVN), recently released a tender for setting up 250 MW/500 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems with viability gap funding support. NTPC released this tender under a tariff-based global competitive bidding request. The last date for bid submission is 17th September 2024. 

As per the NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam tender document, the successful bidder is required to set up a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and make it available for charging and discharging. The tender mentioned that this would be on an “on demand” basis. Additionally, the tender stated that the charging power for the BESS project is to be provided by the BESS Implementing Agency (BIA), which is NVVN, through fixed-term contracts with solar, wind, or hybrid energy sources. To meet the remaining charging power requirement, the tender stated that the requirement is to be met through market purchases or any other source of energy (BESS charging source).

The tender also placed limits on the total capacity offered and project sizing. The document set the minimum bid size as 100 MWh, i.e., 50 MW x 2 hours. The tender also mentioned the maximum contracted capacity allocation for a bidder as 125 MW/250 MWh.

Additionally, a bidder can offer a minimum cumulative project capacity of 50 MW/100 MWh and a maximum cumulative project capacity of 125 MW/250 MWh in the prescribed formats. The NVVN tender also specified that the project capacity is to be quoted in multiples of 5. The BESS system shall be rated for 2 hours of charging and 2 hours of discharging in one cycle.

The NVVN tender also stated that the project capacity of 250/500 MWh shall be connected at the following ISTS substations, as finalized based on consultation with CTUIL. Therefore, the bidder may choose either of the following delivery points for the BESS: • 765 kV Bhadla-III PS, Rajasthan [Under construction; Anticipated by Mar’25 (220 kV bay would be developed)] • 400 kV Banaskantha (Radhanesda) PS (GIS), Gujarat [Existing S/s (220 kV bay would be developed)]

In case the bidder wishes to set up more than one project, then the projects would need to be physically identifiable with separate injection points, control systems, and metering arrangements.