The Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company (MSETCL) has invited expressions of interest (EoI) for empaneling engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) partners to set up 2,000 MW/4,000 MWh battery energy storage systems.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of 25,000 (~$284.6) and a contract performance guarantee amounting to 10% of the total contract value.

The successful bidder must also furnish an annual maintenance performance bank guarantee amounting to 4% of the total contract value. The bank guarantee will be valid for five years and must be renewed every five years.

In July 2025, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) floated a tender to select BESS developers to set up 2,000 MW/4,000 MWh BESS projects.

MSETCL intends to participate in the MSEDCL tender as a bidder and has floated this EoI to empanel EPC contractors, technology providers, and system integrators.

The exact bidding capacity will be communicated to the empanelled EPC partners before the submission of commercial bids.

An EPC developer empaneled by MSETCL must not bid directly or indirectly in the MSEDCL tender through consortiums, affiliates, joint ventures, special-purpose vehicles, or the original equipment manufacturer route.

The scope of work covers the design, engineering, construction, and commissioning of the BESS project.

The project must be set up for charging/discharging for one cycle.

It also covers comprehensive, annual maintenance contracts for the BESS projects for 12 years.

The projects must be completed within 15 months of the issue of the letter of award.

If the selected bidder fails to complete the projects within 15 months, it must pay liquidated damages equal to 0.5% of the total contract value for each week, up to a maximum of 5% of the total contract value.

The project also entails integrating the power conversion system (inverter), as well as the energy management and battery management systems.

The successful bidder must ensure the projects are set up to comply with grid and cybersecurity standards. They must also meet all metering and telemetry obligations to the state load dispatch centers and MSEDCL.

Selected bidders must be responsible for establishing a battery augmentation and replacement protocol and managing all interface responsibilities at the 132/220/400 kV bays of MSETCL.

They must ensure the BESS projects meet the performance requirements specified by MSEDCL..

During the operation and maintenance (O&M) period, the selected bidders must ensure annual system availability of at least 95%.

If the BESS project’s annual availability falls below the guaranteed level, the selected bidders must pay 0.25% of the annual O&M payment for each 1% shortfall in availability.

The selected bidder must have manufactured and supplied batteries for a cumulative capacity of 20 MWh BESS projects.

At least one of those BESS projects must be of 5 MWh and supplied in a single order. The projects must have been commissioned for at least six months before the date of techno-commercial bid opening.

Alternatively, the successful bidder must have supplied, installed/supervised the installation, and commissioned/supervised the commissioning for a cumulative 20 MWh BESS projects.

At least one of those projects must be 5 MWh and supplied in a single order. The projects must have been commissioned for at least six months before the techno-commercial bid opening date.

Bidders can also qualify if they have executed the supply, erection, testing, and commissioning of at least two extra-high-voltage (EHV) substations with a voltage level of at least 220 kV under EPC or turnkey contracts.

Each substation must comprise at least four level bays of at least 220 kV. It must also include two circuit breaker-equipped interconnecting transformer /transformer bays and two circuit breaker-equipped EHV bays.

The projects must have been completed within the last seven years, and each substation must have been operational for at least one year before the bid submission date.

Additionally, such successful bidders must have a tie-up or a manufacturing licensing agreement with a manufacturer capable of manufacturing and supplying batteries for a 20 MWh BESS project.

Successful bidders must have a minimum annual turnover of at least 2 billion (~$22.7 million) over the last three financial years.

They must have a positive net worth in the last three financial years.

To accelerate BESS projects in India, the Ministry of Power allowed states to implement standalone BESS projects under the viability gap funding program, supported by the Power System Development Fund, in both 2-hour and 4-hour configurations.

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