Photo voltaic Vitality Company of India launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ 1,000MWh battery storage tender

India’s Central Electrical energy Authority has an expectation that greater than 100GWh of battery storage will probably be wanted by 2029-2030 to combine renewable power and guarantee system reliability. Picture: Tata Energy Photo voltaic.
The federal government-controlled Photo voltaic Vitality Company of India (SECI) has launched a 500MW/1,000MWh pilot tender for large-scale standalone battery storage.
SECI issued a Request for Choice (RFS) doc yesterday, in search of to obtain the battery power storage methods (BESS) via a tariff-based aggressive bidding course of. It’s anticipated to be the primary stage in a procurement drive for 4,000MWh of BESS in complete.
The company, as its title suggests, is chargeable for selling photo voltaic power in India as an arm of the Nationwide Photo voltaic Mission, and is run by the Ministry of New and Renewable Vitality (MNRE).
As a way to help the deployment and integration of 500GW of latest non-fossil gas power capability, the Central Electrical energy Authority (CEA) has modelled a necessity for 27GW/108GWh of battery storage by 2029-2030, along with 10,151MW of pumped hydro power storage.
The tender is for 2 BESS tasks at a single web site, which is at Fatehgarh-III substations within the state of Rajasthan. Land will probably be supplied on a leasing/right-to-use foundation, facilitated by SECI in settlement with the Transmission Licensee.
The methods will join on to India’s inter-state transmission system (ISTS) with an combination capability of 1,000MWh, comprising two-hour length methods. Bidding entities might suggest to construct one or each of the 250MW/500MWh tasks sought.
SECI will enter right into a battery power storage buy settlement (BESPA) with successful bidders. The company mentioned it has acquired curiosity from potential shopping for entities that need to have the ability to use power storage to ship energy on-demand, throughout each peak and off-peak occasions.
Chosen methods will probably be delivered on a construct, personal, function and switch foundation and as soon as commissioned, SECI intends to behave as middleman to be used of the BESS and for charging-discharging.
The tender is for brand new amenities solely. An finish date for submissions of 10 June 2022 has been set, with bids to open 5 days later.
Sector poised for speedy development
SECI signalled that it was making ready to launch the tender in October final yr. Different large-scale tenders hosted instantly by authorities entities are additionally anticipated, whereas a state-owned energy firm, NTPC, is already internet hosting its personal 1,000MWh tender course of.
SECI contract supervisor Pratik Prasun mentioned by way of social media web site LinkedIn that the general public procurement tender is a “first-of-its-kind idea in India, the place two of an important use instances of BESS will probably be examined on a large-scale,” drawing readers’ consideration to a pre-bid assembly to be held on 6 Could.
India’s power storage market is poised for speedy development, with help from authorities lining up with rising non-public sector curiosity. As famous by the India Vitality Storage Alliance (IESA) business group, there may be solely about 85MWh of grid-connected BESS on-line or below development within the nation up to now, however a stable pipeline of 4.6GWh, together with tendered for and introduced tasks exists.
This has just lately led international gamers within the power storage know-how supplier and system integrator house like Fluence and Powin Vitality to enter the market. Each have partnered with main home gamers within the renewables house.
In a current interview, Powin Vitality govt VP Danny Lu advised Vitality-Storage.information that the significance of robust native companions with a deep data of the Indian power sector can’t be overstated. Lu mentioned that Powin’s native associate, O2 Energy, will probably be chargeable for coming into bids into tenders like these launched by NTPC and SECI.