NTPC Green Energy Invites Bids For 3,300 MWh BESS Project At Khavda Solar Plant In Gujarat

NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has invited bids for the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) package for a 3,300 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (REL) Khavda Solar Plant in Gujarat. The invitation for bids was issued on September 23, 2026, with bidding documents scheduled to be available from October 1, 2026.

The project will be developed at Pooling Substation-1 (PSS-1) in Khavda and will be divided into four BESS blocks. Block-1, Block-2 and Block-3 will each have a capacity of 300 MW/900 MWh, while Block-4 will have a capacity of 200 MW/600 MWh. Together, the four blocks will provide 1,100 MW of power capacity and 3,300 MWh of energy storage capacity.

Each BESS block will be connected at the 33 kV level of its designated solar plant. The EPC contractor will have turnkey responsibility for the project, covering design, engineering, manufacturing and supply, transportation, storage, installation, testing and commissioning of the grid-connected BESS. The scope will also include bus extension work required to connect the storage system with the existing 33 kV pooling switchgear.

NGEL has specified a design life of 25 years for the BESS and battery systems, based on daily single-cycle operation. The contractor will be responsible for managing battery and system degradation during the operating period. The minimum dispatchable capacity at the Point of Interconnection (POI) is required to remain at 100% at Commercial Operation Date (COD), reducing to 80% by the tenth year and 70% by the fifteenth year.

The tender specifies a minimum monthly round-trip efficiency of 80%, including auxiliary consumption, along with an annual system availability requirement of 98%. The selected contractor will also provide comprehensive operation and maintenance services for 15 years, including applicable warranties and service level agreements.

The EPC contractor will be responsible for meeting grid and power quality requirements, configuring the Energy Management System (EMS), maintaining site safety and complying with applicable operational requirements. The contractor will also bear Deviation Settlement Mechanism (DSM) charges attributable during the contract period as specified in the tender.

For logistics and material management, NGEL will provide an earmarked Private Bonded Warehouse at the project site under Section 58 of the Customs Act, 1962, through the MOOWR Scheme. Bidders will be responsible for customs compliance and are required to consider the associated financial benefits while submitting their price bids.

The bidding process will follow a single-stage, two-envelope system comprising Techno-Commercial and Price Bids, followed by a reverse auction. Details regarding the Earnest Money Deposit, Performance Bank Guarantee, qualification requirements and detailed technical specifications will be provided in the complete tender documents. Interested bidders can access the documents through NTPC’s tender platform and NGEL’s website from October 1, 2026.