NTPC has invited bids for the supply, installation, commissioning, and integration of a 600 kW/3000 kWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB) storage system at the NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance (NETRA) facility in Greater Noida.

Unlike conventional batteries, which store energy in solid electrodes, flow batteries store energy in liquid electrolytes that flow through the system.

The last date for bid submission is July 8, 2024. Bids will be opened the next day. A bid security amount of ₹2 million (~$24,000) is required.

The scope of work includes design and detailed engineering, procurement, fabrication, supply, packing, loading, forwarding, transportation, unloading, storage, preservation, freight, insurance, clearances, customs or any other duty, construction, erection, commissioning, shop and field quality tests, and performance guarantee tests of the VRFB system.

The successful bidder must operate and maintain the storage system.

Manufacturers of VRFB systems with a proven track record of having designed, engineered, manufactured, erected, and commissioned VRFB systems with a cumulative capacity of 2400 kWh in one or a maximum of five orders during the last decade can participate in the tender.

At least one of their reference projects, with a minimum capacity of 400 kWh, should have been in operation for at least six months before the techno-commercial bid opening date.

Alternatively, bidders can pursue the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) route, provided they associate with a qualified manufacturer of VRFB systems. In this case, the bidders should have executed grid-connected solar or off-grid solar-battery energy storage system projects on an EPC basis during the last ten years, with a minimum value of one such project being ₹114 million (~$1.43 million). The reference project should have been in operation for at least six months before the bid opening date.

The average annual turnover of the bidders in the preceding three financial years should not be less than ₹143 million (~$1.79 million). Their net worth should not be less than 100% of their paid-up share capital as of the last day of the preceding financial year.

NTPC recently invited bids to develop 250 MW/500 MWh standalone BESS at its thermal power stations in Gadarwara and Solapur.

In December, Jayram Industries India secured the contract from NTPC Renewable Energy to commission a 250 kW/1,200 kWh BESS supporting solar power projects at the Khavda Renewable Energy Park in Gujarat.