The Ladakh Power Development Department (LPDD) has issued a request for selection for developing a 7 MW ground-mounted and canal-mounted grid-connected solar project integrated with a 9 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at the 4 MW Stakna Hydel Power Facility site in Leh, Ladakh.

Bids must be submitted by July 5, 2025. Bids will be opened on July 7.

Bidders must furnish an earnest money deposit (EMD) of ₹13 million (~$151,000) and a tender document fee of ₹10,000 (~$116).

Successful bidders must submit a performance bank guarantee (PBG) of ₹3.25 billion (~$37.7 million) before signing the power purchase agreement (PPA).

The total battery storage capacity will be 9 MWh, configured to provide 3 MW for three hours.

The Stakna project site is approximately 25 km from Leh on the Leh-Manali Highway. It includes roughly seven acres at the powerhouse and 14 acres along the power canal.

The scope of work encompasses the engineering, procurement, and construction of the project. It also entails the operation and maintenance (O&M) of the project for 25 years.

Selected bidders must construct a 66 kV transmission line and bay and synchronize it with the grid.

The components used must be commercially established solar and BESS technologies. They must comply with the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers.

The project must be commissioned within 24 months from the power purchase agreement’s (PPA) effective date, with a grace period of up to six months, subject to the payment of liquidated damages.

Commissioning delays will attract penalties valued at the performance bank guarantee multiplied by the ratio of delayed days, up to 180 days, and capped at the full guarantee amount. Annual electricity generation falling below 80% of the committed level will attract penalties on the PPA tariff.

Bidders must have designed, supplied, installed, and commissioned solar projects with a cumulative capacity of at least 5 MW of solar systems and 6 MW of battery energy storage in the last seven financial years. They must also have completed at least two separate solar projects, each with a minimum capacity of 1 MW of solar systems and 1.2 MW of BESS. The solar projects must have been operational for at least one year.

Bidders must have a minimum net worth of ₹180 million (~$1.09 million) as of the last date of the previous financial year or at least seven days before the bid submission deadline. They must also have a minimum average annual turnover of ₹220 million (~$2.56 million).

In June 2024, LPDD invited bids for the design, supply, installation, and commissioning of 2.632 MW grid-connected rooftop solar power systems on government buildings in the Kargil District, Union Territory of Ladakh.

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