West Bengal’s Department of Power has invited bids to set up 500 MW/2,000 MWh standalone battery storage systems.

The tender has been issued on behalf of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company (WBSEDCL).

The last date to submit bids is April 24, 2026. Bids will be opened on May 7.

Bidders must submit an earnest money deposit of ₹300,000 (~$3,196)/MW and a performance bank guarantee (PBG) of ₹750,000 (~$7,991)/MWh.

Alternatively, they can submit a letter of undertaking issued by the Indian Renewable Development Agency, Power Finance Corporation, or REC, requiring the organizations to pay the PBG if it is encashed.

Bidders can also submit an insurance security bond from an insurer as per the guidelines issued by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, undertaking to pay the PBG encashed by WBSEDCL.

They must also submit a document fee of ₹500,000 (~$5,328) and a document processing fee of ₹2,500 (~$27).

The project will be executed under a build-own-operate model.

The scope of work covers setting up the battery storage systems, integrating them with WBSEDCL’s distribution network, and making the energy storage system available to WBSEDCL for on-demand charging and discharging.

Successful bidders must take a separate metered connection for the auxiliary power load of the battery storage systems from WBSEDCL.

The battery storage systems will be technology agnostic.

The batteries will be charged by drawing power from WBSEDCL’s network and will discharge the power into the grid on instructions from the distribution company’s area load dispatch center.

WBSEDCL will award the entire tendered capacity of 2 GWh for injection at West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company’s four substations.

Successful bidders must install projects with a minimum size of 100 MW/400 MWh.

WBSEDL will provide land for the project at an annual rent of ₹1 (~$0.01)/project.

Successful bidders must ensure that the battery storage systems are available for one operational cycle per day and are designed for a minimum of four hours of discharge.

They must ensure 95% system availability every month and must pay damages for any shortfalls.

The storage systems must be installed within 18 months of the effective date of signing the battery energy storage purchase agreement (BESPA).

The BESPA signed will be valid for 15 years from the project’s commissioning.

Successful bidders must utilize commercially established and operational technologies to minimize the technology risk and to achieve timely commissioning of the project.

Bidders must have a net worth of at least ₹10 million (~$106,548)/MW in the last financial year or at least 7 days before the bid submission deadline.

They must have a minimum annual turnover of ₹5 million (~$53,274)/MWh in the last financial year or within 7 days of the bid submission deadline.

In February 2026, WBSEDCL invited bids for the design, engineering, supply, construction, and commissioning of a 100 MW solar power project with a 25 MW/100 MWh battery energy storage system at Goaltore in the Paschim Medinipur district of West Bengal (Phase II).

Last year, WBSEDCL invited bids to set up 250 MW/1,000 MWh standalone battery energy storage systems with an additional 250 MW/1,000 MWh under the greenshoe option at the Goaltore substation.