Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (POWERGRID) has issued a global competitive bidding process for the development of a 100 MW/200 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project in Punjab, with bids invited until March 17, 2026. The project will be developed at the 220 kV Bhatinda substation in Punjab under a Build, Own, Operate (BOO) model.

Project Specifications and Timeline

The battery energy storage system will have a total storage capacity of 200 MWh and will be grid-connected at the 220 kV Bhatinda Substation. The scope of work includes setting up the battery system, power conversion system (PCS), and PCS transformers as per the contractor's design, completing medium-voltage bus work at 33 kV, and interconnection with the 33 kV system developed by POWERGRID.

The project must be completed within 15 months from commissioning and handover of facilities. The selected contractor will also be responsible for comprehensive operations and maintenance for a period of 12 years after commissioning.

Bidding Process and Financial Requirements

The tender has been issued under reference number CC/T/W-MISC/DOM/A00/26/03179 for "Package Punjab-BESS-02." The bidding process is currently live on the PRANIT portal under RFX Number 5002005148. The document sale period started on March 2, 2026, and will remain open until March 15, 2026, at 11:55 PM.

Interested bidders must submit their soft copy bids by March 17, 2026, before 11:00 AM. The technical bids will be opened on the same day at 11:30 AM. Bidders must submit a tender document fee of ₹25,000. The Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) has been kept at zero at this stage.

The project will receive Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support from the Power System Development Fund (PSDF). Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) is acting as the Bid Process Coordinator (BPC) for the tender.

Eligibility Criteria

To qualify for the tender, bidders must meet several technical and financial requirements. They must have supplied, erected, tested and commissioned, as a prime contractor, grid-connected BESS projects with a cumulative capacity of at least 10 MWh. Bidders must also have executed at least one solar or wind power project of 50 MW or higher capacity in India.

Additionally, bidders should have erected and commissioned at least two AIS circuit breaker-equipped bays of 132 kV or higher voltage level in a substation or switchyard within the past seven years. These projects must be in satisfactory operation as of the bid submission deadline of March 17, 2026.

Alternatively, battery manufacturers may qualify if they have supplied at least 50 MWh of batteries over the past three years for stationary grid applications.

From a financial perspective, bidders must have a positive net worth for the last three financial years and a minimum average annual turnover of ₹2.36 billion for the best three of the last five financial years. They must also have liquid assets and/or credit facilities of at least ₹394 million.

Broader Context and Related Projects

This project is part of a larger plan to develop 250 MW/500 MWh of standalone battery storage capacity in Punjab. As part of the current tender framework, if POWERGRID is declared the successful bidder and receives a Letter of Award (LoA) from PSPCL, the company or its nominated entity will set up a 250 MW/500 MWh standalone BESS project in the state.

Punjab has seen a sharp rise in battery storage tenders since the beginning of the year. Earlier, the state floated a 500 MW/1,000 MWh standalone BESS tender through Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL), underscoring its push to strengthen grid stability and renewable integration.

POWERGRID has also floated two other tenders inviting bids to set up 150 MW/300 MWh standalone BESS in Punjab. In February this year, POWERGRID floated tenders inviting bids to select a pre-bid tie-up partner to set up six standalone battery energy storage projects with a cumulative capacity of 125 MW/500 MWh in Odisha.

The bidding process is being managed by Umesh Kumar Yadav, Manager at POWERGRID's corporate office in Gurugram, Haryana. The project will be awarded through a Tariff-Based Global Competitive Bidding process, with the tender value shown as zero because the project will be awarded based on tariff discovery through competitive bidding.

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