Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVNL) has invited bids to set up four 2.5 MW/5 MWh grid-integrative standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) at 33 kV substations falling under the jurisdiction of DHBVNL and Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVNL).

The last date to submit bids is September 10, 2025. Bids will be opened on September 11.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹4.8 million (~$54,845) and a performance bank guarantee of ₹12 million (~$137,113).

They must also furnish a bid document fee of ₹5,000 (~$57.13) plus GST and a document processing fee of ₹10,000 (~$ 114.26) plus GST.

The project will be set up on a build-own-operate basis.

The projects will receive viability gap funding (VGF) from the central government for up to 30% of the capital cost or ₹2.7 million (~$30,850)/MWh, whichever is lower.

The scope of work includes setting up BESS and providing two cycles of charging/discharging.

It also covers operation and maintenance for 12 years.

The successful bidder must ensure the energy storage facility is available to distribution companies for charging/discharging of the BESS on an on-demand basis.

The projects can use any type of battery technology provided it meets the performance requirements under the tender.

The distribution companies will provide land within their 33 kV substations at an annual lease charge of ₹1 (~$0.011)/plot.

Grid interconnection must be carried out at 11 kV, and the interconnection will be on the bus of the 33/11 kV substation.

The successful bidder must bear all the expenses associated with the transmission, including line construction, wheeling charges, state load dispatch centre’s (SLDC) scheduling charges, system operation charges, market operation charges, maintenance, and transmission losses. It also covers maintenance of the transmission infrastructure.

A minimum system availability of 95% annually must be maintained.

The energy required for charging the storage system will be supplied by DISCOM, with charging and discharging instructions issued from the SLDC control room.

The power will be supplied to the DISCOM substation or the distribution network as per the dispatch instructions issued by the SLDC control room or the system operations wing of DHBVN/UHBVN.

Key operational data, such as the state of charge, readiness for remote operation, cumulative energy imports and exports, and other performance indicators, will be integrated into the DISCOM’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system.

The developer must deploy both a Battery Management System and an Energy Management System with the software developed indigenously within India.

After the 12-year contract period, the BESSD must also safely disposal of used batteries in compliance with the Hazardous & Other Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

The DISCOM may also utilize the BESS to deploy for additional use cases, including frequency support, capacity upgrade deferral, resource adequacy, and providing backup supply to critical loads such as black start operations.

The successful bidder must have supplied and installed grid-interactive BESS for a cumulative installed capacity of at least 20 MWh to DISCOMS/generation companies/transmission companies or other government utilities. The BESS must have been operational for at least six months.

The successful bidder must have a net worth of at least ₹50 million (~$571,305) and an annual turnover of ₹500 million (~$5.7 million) in the last three financial years.

In August, the Ministry of Power issued amendments to the operational guidelines of the VGF program for BESS projects, which are supported through the Power System Development Fund. The Ministry issued the operational guidelines for the ₹94 billion (~$1.1 billion) program to provide VGF of up to 40% to develop 4,000 MWh of BESS capacity across the country.