Mahanadi Coalfields (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India, has invited expressions of interest (EoI) to set up a 60 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Odisha.

The last date to submit bids is December 26, 2025. Bids will be opened on December 27.

Mahanadi Coalfields, which has a peak contract demand of 86 MVA., aims to integrate BESS with existing and upcoming solar projects in Odisha.

The EoI is being floated to understand existing industrial-scale BESS technologies and to identify prospective technology providers/engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors with battery experience in setting up the BESS project.

It also aims to obtain technical and financial proposals for setting up BESS from bidders submitting EoIs.

Bidders must submit a technical and financial proposal that includes BESS technology, the project’s working principle, its specifications, and applications.

The proposals must also cover the advantages and disadvantages of BESS, the capital expenditure and land required for the project, and the time needed for commissioning.

Bidders must provide information on the maximum storage discharge applicable, the BESS life cycle, the round-trip efficiency, the expected degradation profile of the BESS, and the configuration and make of the battery management system.

They must also furnish details about operating and maintenance expenses, annual availability of the BESS project, and the estimated levelized cost of storage and delivery energy.

Bidders must provide information on their experience with BESS projects. The data on their previous experience must include the name and location of the power project, the project capacity, the BESS technology and capacity, and the year of commissioning.

It must also include CAPEX for the project, the project’s round-trip efficiency, and its annual availability.

In May 2025, Mahanadi invited bids for the EPC of 25 MW of ground-mounted solar power projects at Rampur Colliery and Samaleswari Opencast Project in Odisha. The estimated cost of the work is ₹1.44 billion (~$17.11 million).

In September 2025, Coal India floated EoIs for the EPC of 150 MW interstate transmission system-connected solar projects with a co-located BESS.