Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation (UPPCL) has invited bids to supply energy from 375 MW/1,500 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Bids must be submitted by October 13, 2025. Bids will be opened on October 16.

Bidders must furnish a bid processing fee of ₹1.5 million (~$17,012) and an earnest money deposit of ₹896,000 (~$10,162)/MW.

Selected bidders must furnish a performance bank guarantee of ₹2.24 million (~$25,405)/MW.

Selected bidders can set up the BESS project on a build-own-operate basis with viability gap funding of ₹1.8 million (~$25,405).

The minimum bid size will be 250 MWh, i.e., 62.50 MW × four hours. The BESS must be designed for up to four hours of discharge. UPPCL may schedule this in one or two sessions daily, excluding the charging window from 11:00 to 17:00. The charging power for the BESS project must originate from renewable energy sources.

Already commissioned projects cannot participate in this tender. However, projects that are still under construction or not yet commissioned may be considered, provided they have not been accepted under any other central or state program.

Any enhancement or augmentation of projects that are already commissioned, regardless of their capacity, will not qualify. In addition, the BESS capacity installed under this tender cannot be counted or demonstrated as part of the project capacity in any other tender as of the bid submission deadline.

Selected bidders must apply for connectivity within 30 days of signing the battery energy discharge purchase agreement (BEDPA). At least 30 days before the proposed commissioning date, developers must submit the connection agreement signed with the transmission.

The BEDPA should be valid for 15 years from the scheduled commissioning date or the date of full commissioning, whichever is later.

The scheduled commissioning date is 18 months from signing the BEDPA.

Developers must ensure at least 95% monthly system availability. For any shortfall, they must pay UPPCL liquidated damages equal to one and a half times the tariff for the energy not supplied.

UPPCL will offtake 100% of energy from the declared BESS capacity, except in cases of grid unavailability or force majeure. If it fails to offtake power for other reasons, it must pay the full tariff on the declared capacity.

The developer may sell unrequisitioned power on the exchange or to third parties. In case of such sales, net revenue (after expenses) will first be adjusted against the UPPCL’s dues, with any surplus shared equally between UPPCL and the developer. If not sold, UPPCL is not liable for payment on that portion.

Bidders must have a net worth of at least ₹8.96 million (~$101,623)/ MW as on the last day of the preceding financial year. Their minimum annual turnover should be ₹29.8 million (~$337,991)/ MW in the preceding financial year.

The Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission recently approved UPPCL’s petition to procure 375 MW/1,500 MWh of standalone BESS capacity with VGF support.