POWERGRID invites bids for 1 GWh BESS projects under ISTS
Summary of the latest grid-scale battery storage tender from POWERGRID, including timeline, eligibility and what it means for battery suppliers.
#BESS#POWERGRID#grid storage#tender
India's grid-scale storage market continues to expand as POWERGRID invites bids for 1 GWh of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) connected to the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS).
Key detail
No EMD is required for this tender.
Tender summary
- Capacity: 1,000 MWh (1 GWh)
- Location: ISTS-connected substations across multiple states
- Technology: BESS with minimum 2-hour discharge duration
- Contract period: 10–12 years (Build-Own-Operate-Maintain)
Why this matters
Grid-scale BESS is becoming the fastest-growing segment of India's storage market, driven by:
- Renewable integration targets — 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030 requires massive storage
- Government VGF support — viability gap funding for 4 GWh of BESS announced earlier this year
- Falling battery prices — LFP cell prices down ~30% year-on-year
Who should bid
- Battery integrators with proven ISTS experience
- Manufacturers with local cell/pack assembly (Make in India points apply)
- EPC + O&M consortiums
Timeline
- Bid submission: 45 days from issue
- Technical evaluation: ~30 days
- Award expected: within 90 days of issue
Next step
Watch the tender portal and this page — we track every major BESS and charging tender in India.
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