The Proof & Experimental Establishment (PXE), a unit of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), has issued an expression of interest for the development and installation of a 5 MW grid-connected solar project with a battery energy storage system (BESS) at Chandipur in Balasore district of Odisha.

Bids must be submitted by January 30, 2026. Bids will be opened on the same day.

The scope of work includes the design, engineering, financing, procurement, erection, testing, and commissioning of the 5 MW solar project along with the associated BESS.

It also includes the development of the power evacuation system, interconnection with the state grid, and compliance with all safety, statutory, and environmental protection requirements applicable to such projects.

The selected bidder will be responsible for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the solar project and associated systems throughout the power purchase agreement (PPA) period.

The project must be completed within 24 months. The project will be implemented under a long-term PPA with a 25-year tenor.

The project must be connected to the grid at an interconnection voltage of 33 kV or higher. The metering point for energy accounting will be the main availability-based tariff-compliant energy meter installed at the state transmission utility substation.

The tender mandates the use of solar modules based on MNRE-approved technologies, including crystalline silicon, thin-film, or CIGS modules.

Bidders must have experience in developing grid-connected solar projects with a cumulative installed capacity of at least 25 MW. This experience must include at least one project of a minimum capacity of 5 MW executed at a single location.

In addition, bidders must have operated and maintained a grid-connected solar power project of at least 5 MW for a minimum of six months. At least one completed solar project of at least 5 MW must be certified by either the project developer or the power off-taker.

Bidders must have a positive net worth

Last October, the Solar Energy Corporation of India signed a memorandum of understanding with DRDO to develop over 300 MW of large-scale renewable energy projects.

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