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Ecoren, Bondada, and POWERGRID Win Big in APTRANSCO’s 2,000 MWh BESS Tender
Nov 30, 2025
Ecoren Energy, Bondada Engineering, Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID), Bhagwati Group, SBR Electro Projects, and Legion Energy Products have been selected as winners in APTRANSCO’s latest auction to develop standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) projects across Andhra Pradesh. The tender covers installations at seven substations with a combined capacity of 1,000 MW/2,000 MWh.
APTRANSCO’s competitive bidding process resulted in an L1 tariff of Rs1.48 lakh per MW per month. The auction, issued in August 2025, aims to deploy large-scale storage assets to strengthen grid stability and support DISCOM operations.
Project Allocations and Tariffs
• SBR Electro Projects secured 25 MW/50 MWh at the Gajuwaka substation at the L1 tariff of Rs1.48 lakh/MW/month.
• Ecoren Energy emerged as the largest winner with a total of 500 MW/1,000 MWh across two locations:
o 275 MW/550 MWh at Talaricheruvu for Rs1.50 lakh/MW/month
o 225 MW/450 MWh at Pampanuruthanda for Rs1.65 lakh/MW/month
• Bondada Engineering won 225 MW/450 MWh at Hindupur, while
• POWERGRID (PGCIL) obtained 150 MW/300 MWh at Kalikiri, both quoting Rs1.64 lakh/MW/month.
• Bhagwati Group was awarded 75 MW/150 MWh at Maradam for Rs1.50 lakh/MW/month.
• Legion Energy Products secured 25 MW/50 MWh at Simhachalam at the same tariff.
Key Terms of the Tender
The selected developers will implement the projects under a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) model. They will be responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining the BESS facilities, ensuring system availability of at least 95% annually.
The BESS units will be made available to state DISCOMs and the SLDC for charging and discharging on demand. APTRANSCO will provide land on a right-of-use basis at a nominal lease rate of Rs1 per acre per year.
The projects are also eligible for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) of up to Rs18 lakh/MWh, payable in three installments.
As part of the technical requirements, developers must design systems capable of 0.5 C-rate charging/discharging. They must also ensure operational independence of BESS blocks of 50 MW/100 MWh or 75 MW/150 MWh, enabling precise scheduling by DISCOMs and SLDC. Charging power will be supplied by state DISCOMs.