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POWERGRID Issues Two Tenders for 150 MW/300 MWh Standalone BESS in Punjab

Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID) has released two separate tenders to set up a total of 150 MW/300 MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Punjab. The deadline for bid submission is March 17, 2026, and bids will be opened on the same day. A tender fee of Rs25,000 is applicable for each tender.

POWERGRID intends to participate in a larger 500 MW/1,000 MWh standalone BESS tender floated by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), which is acting as the bid process coordinator. In this process, POWERGRID is a bidder. If it secures the letter of award, the company or its nominated entity will execute the project on a build, own, and operate (BOO) basis.

The projects will be supported through viability gap funding under the Power System Development Fund. The selected contractors must complete the installations within 15 months and provide comprehensive facility maintenance services for a period of 12 years.

To qualify as a prime contractor, bidders must meet at least one of several technical criteria. They should have supplied, installed, tested, and commissioned grid-connected BESS projects with a cumulative capacity of at least 10 MWh; or executed at least one 50 MW solar or wind project; or commissioned at least two AIS circuit breaker-equipped bays of 132 kV or above at a single substation or switchyard. These reference projects must have been operational within the past seven years from the bid submission deadline.

Alternatively, battery manufacturers are eligible if they have supplied a minimum of 50 MWh of batteries for stationary grid applications during the three years preceding the bid submission date.

Tender 1: 50 MW/100 MWh BESS in Ludhiana
The first tender covers the installation of a 50 MW/100 MWh BESS project in Ludhiana. Bidders must demonstrate a positive net worth over the previous three financial years and a minimum average annual turnover of Rs1.18 billion. They must also show liquid assets or confirmed credit facilities of at least Rs197.1 million.

Tender 2: 100 MW/200 MWh BESS in Ludhiana
The second tender pertains to a 100 MW/200 MWh BESS installation, also in Ludhiana. Eligibility requirements include a positive net worth over the last three financial years and a minimum average annual turnover of Rs2.36 billion. Additionally, bidders must establish access to liquid assets or credit facilities of no less than Rs394 million.