POWERGRID has issued two open tenders for a combined 750 MW/2,000 MWh of BESS capacity across India
The tenders cover 500 MW/1,000 MWh (2-hour) and 250 MW/1,000 MWh (4-hour) battery storage systems under long-term agreements
Both tenders were published on July 16, 2026, with August 17, 2026 as the bid submission deadline
The Power Grid Corporation of India (POWERGRID), the majority state-owned transmission utility, has invited bids under two separate open tenders to establish a combined 750 MW/2,000 MWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) across India.
The larger of the two tenders seeks a Long Term Agreement (LTA) for a 500 MW/1,000 MWh BESS on a site-destination basis under Category-A (2-hour BESS). The tender has been issued under Specification No. CC/T/W-BESS/DOM/A04/26/09605, and will be processed through POWERGRID's PRANIT e-tendering portal under RFx No. 5007000201.
The second tender covers a 250 MW/1,000 MWh BESS under Category-B (4-hour BESS), also on a site-destination basis. Issued under Specification No. CC/T/W-BESS/DOM/A04/26/09477, it is listed on the PRANIT portal as RFx No. 5007000202.
The procurements target two different storage durations. Industry practice generally sees 2-hour battery systems deployed for grid services, including peak management and balancing, while 4-hour systems are more commonly used for energy shifting and providing greater operational flexibility.
Both tenders are open works contracts applicable across India and call for the complete engineering, procurement, construction, testing, and commissioning of the systems. According to the tender documents, there is no tender fee or earnest money deposit (EMD) for either procurement.
POWERGRID has scheduled a pre-bid meeting for July 28, 2026, while document sales and bid submissions opened on July 16, 2026. The deadline for document sales and electronic bid submission is August 17, 2026. Technical bids will be opened on the same day.
The tenders align with India's plans to expand grid-scale energy storage as renewable energy capacity grows. The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) projects the country will require 174 GW/888 GWh of energy storage by FY2035-36, including 80 GW/321 GWh of BESS (see CEA: Solar Set To Become India’s Largest Power Source By 2035-36).
By 2030, the CEA expects the country to need 208 GWh of BESS under the 2023 National Electricity Plan, says the Ministry of Power.
