JSW Neo Energy and Reliance Power have won Solar Energy Corporation of India’s (SECI) auction to set up 1,000 MW/2,000 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) under tariff-based global competitive bidding.

Both the companies have won an equal capacity of 500 MW/1000 MWh. JSW Neo Energy quoted a tariff of ₹381,000 (~$4542)/MW per month and Reliance Power quoted ₹381,999 (~$4554)/MW per month.

The tender was floated in June this year.

The developers must establish a BESS to make the energy storage facility available to the buying entities for charging and discharging the system as needed.

Bidders had to submit a single bid with a minimum cumulative project capacity of 50 MW/100 MWh and a maximum cumulative capacity of 1,000 MW/2,000 MWh.

The tender had specified that projects that have already been commissioned will not be eligible. However, projects under construction or not yet commissioned may be considered, provided they have not already been accepted under any other Central or State programs.

The identification of land, installation, ownership of the project, obtaining connectivity and approvals, and interconnection with the ISTS network will be the responsibility of the developers.

The tender does not specify any particular battery storage technology, as long as it meets the definition of BESS and fulfills the performance criteria outlined in the tender and the Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement.

The BESS can be charged by any energy source, including conventional energy sources, and ownership of the energy source is not required to be held by the developer.

For the capacity contracted with SECI, the responsibility for charging and discharging the system will fall under the buying entity’s scope.

Recently, SECI invited bids to commission a 25 MW solar power project with a 20 MW/50 MWh battery energy storage system in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

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