The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company has issued a request for selection to procure 1,000 MW of energy storage capacity for 40 years from inter or intra-state connected pumped hydro storage projects on a demand basis. The energy storage projects must have eight hours of discharge capability with a maximum of five hours of continuous discharge. The last day to submit the bids is April 15, 2024. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The Ministry of Power has issued the operational guidelines for the ₹94 billion (~$1.1 billion) program to provide viability gap funding of up to 40% to develop 4,000 MWh of battery energy storage systems capacity across the country. The program will run for three years, from 2023-24 to 2025-26, with budgetary support of ₹37.6 billion ($452 million). The project contract period, which will be between 10 and 12 years, will be awarded based on the build-own-operate model.

The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission has approved tariffs discovered through competitive bidding for NTPC’s procurement of 1,250 MW power from grid-connected solar power projects under the “Program for Flexibility in Generation and Scheduling of Thermal/Hydro Power Stations through Bundling with Renewable Energy and Storage Power.” Three successful bidders selected by NTPC were Solairedirect Energy, ReNew Solar Power, and NTPC Renewable Energy.

GoodEnough Energy, a battery energy storage systems (BESS) manufacturer, said it will open India’s largest BESS gigafactory with 7 GWh capacity in Jammu & Kashmir. The gigafactory is expected to commence operations in October 2024, with plans to scale up the capacity to 20 GWh by 2026. The Greater Noida-based company has committed an investment of ₹4.50 billion (~$54 million) into the state-of-the-art facility.

The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has announced a Standards and Labeling Program for grid-connected solar inverters without storage to indicate their overall efficiency. The current minimum energy performance standard will be in force from March 15, 2024, to December 31, 2025. Introducing the endorsement label for grid-connected solar inverters is expected to lead to significant benefits, including an estimated energy saving of 21.1 billion kWh from the financial year 2024-25 to 2033-34.

The Airports Authority of India has floated a tender for the annual operation and maintenance of a 1.2 MW ground-mounted solar power project for 24 months at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi. The contract will also extend to the maintenance of electrical and mechanical installations at the site. The project’s estimated cost is ₹29 million (~$350,413). The last date to submit bids is April 8, 2024. Bids will be opened on April 22.

Bundelkhand University in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, has invited bids from solar developers to set up a 1.2 MW grid-connected rooftop solar photovoltaic project. The project will be executed under the renewable energy service company model, where the developer will invest its funds and sell solar power to the university at pre-determined tariffs. The capacity can be extended up to 5 MW based on future requirements and system performance.

Indian Oil Corporation has invited bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction contract for a 1 MW solar power project at Southern Region Pipelines in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. In addition to commissioning the project, the contract encompasses one year of complete operation and maintenance services following construction and an additional four years of extended operation and maintenance support.