The Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam (GUVNL) has issued a draft tender to set up  projects of 200 MW/1600 MWh standalone battery energy storage (long duration energy storage) systems in Gujarat under tariff-based competitive bidding (Phase-V).

Stakeholders have until November 10, 2024, to provide feedback on the draft tender.

The BESS will have a 200 MW / 1600 MWh capacity, capable of delivering one full cycle per day, resulting in a daily cumulative capacity of 1600 MWh.

The system will be charged by drawing power from the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) and will inject power back into the GETCO network according to dispatch instructions from the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) in coordination with GUVNL.

GUVNL will ensure that the required power for charging is supplied, considering the minimum system efficiency as agreed.

The minimum bid size is 400 MWh (equivalent to 50 MW for 8 hours), with increments in multiples of 50 MW / 400 MWh. The full project capacity of 200 MW / 1600 MWh will be located near substations within the State Transmission Utility (STU) network in Gujarat.

Bidders must submit a document fee of ₹29,500 (~$350.89) and ₹1.5 million (~$17,841) + 18% GST for project capacity quotes by each bidder.

They must also furnish an earnest money deposit of ₹1.4 million (~$16,652)/MW.

Selected bidders must furnish a performance bank guarantee for a value @₹3.6 million (~$42,833)/MW.

The Battery Energy Storage System Developer (BESSD) must make the BESS available to GUVNL for charging and discharging on an “on-demand” basis.

The BESSD will also be responsible for installing and connecting the BESS to the State Transmission Network. The tender does not specify a preferred battery technology, allowing the BESSD to choose any system that complies with the BESS definition and meets the required performance standards outlined in the tender and Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement (BESPA).

The tender aims to promote only commercially proven and operational technologies, reducing technology risks and ensuring project commissioning on time.

The bidders’ net worth must be equal to or greater than ₹7.4 million (~$88,024)/MW of the quoted capacity, either as of the last date of the previous financial year (FY 2023-24) or at least seven days before the bid submission deadline.

For example, for an 800 MWh project (400 MW x 2 hours), the minimum required Net Worth would be ₹7.4 million (~$88,024) x 400 MW. If the bidder is a SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), the total value of Assets Under Management (AUM) must also meet the minimum requirement of ₹7.4 million (~$88,024)/MW.

In April GUVNL invited bids to purchase power from 500 MW of grid-connected solar power projects (Phase XXV) to be set up anywhere in India, with a greenshoe option of an additional 500 MW.

Subscribe to Mercom’s India Solar Tender Tracker for timely updates on all solar tenders issued by various agencies in India.