Pace Digitek Limited has received Rs 7,099.19 million contract from NLC India Limited subsidiary NLC India Renewables Limited to develop 250 MW / 500 MWh BESS across Ottapidaram, Annupankulam and Kayathar substations in Tamil Nadu. The turnkey scope includes engineering, manufacturing, commissioning and 12 years of comprehensive O&M, with project COD targeted within 12 months of the letter of award. The order strengthens Pace Digitek’s position in India’s utility-scale BESS market as state-backed storage deployments accelerate to support grid stability and renewable integration.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Project: Tamil Nadu Standalone BESS Project
Capacity: 250 MW / 500 MWh
Location: Ottapidaram SS, Annupankulam SS and Kayathar SS, Tamil Nadu, India
Developer: Pace Digitek Limited
Awarding Entity: NLC India Renewables Limited
Technology: Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)
Contract Type: Turnkey EPC with 12-year O&M
Contract Value: INR 7,099.19 million including GST
Status: Contract awarded
Execution Timeline: 12 months from Letter of Award
Pace Digitek Limited has received a contract worth INR 7,099.19 million, including GST, from NLC India Renewables Limited (NIRL) for the development of battery energy storage projects in Tamil Nadu.
NIRL acts as the Asset Owner and Project Off-Taker under a Build-Own-Operate (BOO) commercial strategy. Pace Digitek operates as the Turnkey Technical Executor, employing a vertically integrated manufacturing and execution model. The working strategy for this 250 MW / 500 MWh BESS project follows a clear Public-Private Partnership (PPP) structural split. Pace Digitek will also handle forwarding, unloading and storage activities at the project sites. Power transformers are excluded from the supply scope.
The contract covers the design, engineering, supply, manufacturing, erection, testing and commissioning of a cumulative 250 MW / 500 MWh BESS across three substations — Ottapidaram, Annupankulam and Kayathar. The scope also includes comprehensive operation and maintenance services for 12 years from the date of commercial operation declaration (COD).
The company stated that the full project capacity is scheduled to achieve COD within 12 months from the date of the letter of award (LOA). The long-term operation and maintenance (O&M) agreement will continue for the entire BESS service life of 12 years after commissioning.
The project uses 250 MW / 500 MWh battery storage configuration with two-hour discharge duration. The systems are expected to balance electricity supply and support renewable energy integration across Tamil Nadu. The projects will be installed at substations connected to state transmission network.
Pace Digitek, headquartered in Bengaluru, operates in engineering, procurement and infrastructure-related projects. The company operates as a vertically integrated BESS manufacturer and grid integrator. The latest order adds to the growing pipeline of BESS deployments in India.
NIRL is a subsidiary of NLC India Limited and is focused on renewable energy and energy transition projects is the project off taker. The company is adding more projects in solar, wind and energy storage as India is increasing its renewable energy capacity. To transition from its traditional fossil-fuel mining heritage, NIRL is aggressively scaling up its green power generation footprint. Because the green grid capacity in Tamil Nadu experiences high intermittency, NIRL acts as the central developer and off-taker, using large-scale BESS contracts like this one to ensure a reliable "round-the-clock" (RTC) clean energy supply for the state power utility.