Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) has invited bids to set up pilot projects of 1 GWh (500 MW x 2 hours) standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Gujarat for ‘on-demand usage’ under tariff-based competitive bidding (Phase-I).

The projects will be developed under a build, own, and operate model. GUVNL seeks to utilize energy storage systems on an “On-Demand” basis, suited to the requirements of the state distribution companies during the peak and off-peak hours.

The last date to submit the bids is September 15, 2022. Bids will be opened on September 22.

Bidders are required to submit a document fee of ₹29,500 (~$370.26) and a document processing fee of ₹1.5 million (~$18,826) plus 18% goods and services tax (GST) for the total project capacity quoted.

Bidders will have to submit ₹740,000 (~$9,310) per MW as an earnest money deposit. The successful bidder will have to furnish ₹1.11 million (~$13,966) per MW as a performance bank guarantee.

The minimum bid size swill be 80 MWh (40 MW x 2 hours).

GUVNL will enter into a battery energy storage purchase agreement (BESPA) with the successful bidders for providing an energy storage facility to GUVNL as per the terms, conditions, and provisions of the request for selection and BESPA.

The project must be completed within 18 months from the effective date of BESPA.

Further, the project developer should adopt commercially established and operational technologies to minimize technology risks and comply with the codes and standards specified in the guidelines.

The BESS will be charged by drawing power from the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation (GETCO) network per the dispatch instructions issued by the state load despatch center. Charging and discharging of the system will be under the scope of GUVNL.

The maintenance of the transmission system up to the interconnection point will be the project developer’s responsibility, to be undertaken entirely at their cost and expense. The project developer will bear the entire infrastructure construction cost from the project up to the interconnection point.

The power rating of the project capacity of 1000 MWh (500 MW x 2 hours) BESS will be 500 MW, i.e., the maximum value of the active output and input power at the delivery point. The system’s energy rating of 1,000 MWh will be the dispatchable capacity measured at the metering point.

The battery energy storage system developer must guarantee a minimum system availability of 95% on an annual basis.

GUVNL had proposed to promote only commercially established and operational technologies to minimize the technology risk and to achieve timely commissioning of the projects.

The net worth of the bidders should be equal to or greater than ₹7.4 million (~$93,109)/MW of the quoted capacity (in MW) as on the last date of the previous financial year or seven days prior to the bid submission deadline.

Any bidder from a country that shares a land border with India will be eligible to bid.

In April this year, NTPC Renewable Energy issued an invitation for bids for the design, engineering, manufacturing, supply, installation, and commissioning of a 250 MW/500 MWh grid-connected standalone BESS near Fatehgarh-III interstate transmission system (ISTS) substation in Rajasthan.

Earlier, the Solar Energy Corporation of India had issued a request for selection to set up pilot projects of 500 MW/1000MWh standalone BESS under a build, own, operate, and transfer model.

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