Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL) has issued a request for selection to set up 2,000 MW/4,000 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) across Gujarat under Phase VII of its BESS programme. The projects will be developed on a build-own-operate basis and will be connected to Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited’s substations, including Charanka, Shapar, Bhogat, and others. The projects will receive viability gap funding from the central government at Rs 1.8 million per MWh, disbursed in three tranches: 20 per cent at financial closure, 50 per cent at commercial operation date (COD), and 30 per cent one year after COD upon certification.
According to the tender guidelines, the scope of the project includes the design, construction, and operation of the BESS installations, including all infrastructure up to the delivery point and construction of transmission lines. The systems must comply with metering and dispatch protocols issued by the state load dispatch centre and GUVNL. Each bidder must submit a minimum bid of 100 MWh (50 MW x 2 hours), and all bids must be in multiples of this capacity. The bidders must submit a money deposit of Rs 500,000 per MW. The deadline for bid submission is September 11, 2025.
Selected bidders must bear the complete cost of construction up to the interconnection point. Additionally, they must ensure that the systems support two full charging and discharging cycles daily and achieve 95 per cent annual availability and 85 per cent round-trip efficiency. The battery energy storage purchase agreement (BESPA) will be valid for 12 years from the date of full commissioning. The scheduled commissioning date is 18 months from the effective BESPA date, with a nine-month extension permitted under liquidated damages. These damages will be calculated on a pro-rata basis by encashing a performance guarantee of Rs 1.25 million per MW, with full forfeiture for delays exceeding nine months.