NTPC Renewable Energy Limited’s Bikaner project includes 1,950 MW/7,800 MWh of BESS capacity across five blocks in Rajasthan, connected at 33 kV pooling substations. The EPC scope covers turnkey design, engineering, supply, installation, commissioning, EMS integration, grid compliance, fire safety and 15-year O&M with 98% availability guarantees. The tender requires minimum 10,000-cycle batteries, 80% monthly RTE and 92% dispatchable capacity retention over 15 years through bidder-managed augmentation.
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Project: NTPC REL Bikaner Solar + BESS Project
Capacity: 1,950 MW / 7,800 MWh
Location: Rajasthan, India
Developer: NTPC Renewable Energy Limited
Technology: Grid-connected BESS
Configuration: Five BESS blocks connected at 33 kV
Battery Requirement: Minimum 10,000 cycles
Design Life: 25 years
O&M Period: 15 years comprehensive O&M
Minimum RTE: 80% monthly
Availability Guarantee: 98%
Status: EPC tender stage
NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) has invited bids for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) package for large-scale BESS installations at the company's Bikaner Solar Project in Rajasthan. The combined planned capacity consists of 1,950 MW/7,800 MWh across five project blocks.
In terms of the scope as proposed, the BESS technology will be used to integrate with designated solar power plants located at NTPC REL Bikaner, to be connected at the 33 kV level. The project comprises a system with the capacity of 500MW/2,000MWh at PSS-1, an installation capacity of 550MW/2,200MWh at PSS-2 and other three installations with 300MW/1,200MWh capacity at PSS-3, PSS-4 and PSS-5 respectively.
The winning bidder will provide comprehensive turnkey services for these grid-connected BESS projects. The scope of work encompasses full system design, as well as the integration of the storage facilities with the Balance of System (BOS), the solar power plants and the grid.
NTPC REL has specified that the deliverable capacity for each block must be fully demonstrated at the point of interconnection (POI) during commercial operations. Bidders must account for auxiliary consumption and discharge losses when determining the installed discharge capacity, ensuring that the minimum installed nameplate energy capacity for each block is at least 110% of the specified MWh rating.
Furthermore, the tender mandates that the BESS infrastructure, including the batteries, must have a design life of 25 years under daily single-cycle operations, with battery systems rated for a minimum of 10,000 operating cycles. The contractor must guarantee a minimum dispatchable capacity of 92% at the POI over a 15-year period, starting with 100% rated dispatchable capacity at commissioning and 95% during the first year of operation. Any augmentation required to maintain these performance guarantees will remain within the bidder’s scope.
The package includes comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) services for 15 years, alongside strict warranties and service-level agreements to sustain peak performance. NTPC REL requires a minimum monthly round-trip efficiency of 80%—inclusive of auxiliary consumption measured at the termination or coupling point—and a minimum annual system availability of 98%.
As part of the technical requirements, bidders will conduct grid compliance studies covering the integrated solar, storage, and power evacuation systems. Ensuring power quality compliance up to the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) interconnection point falls under the contractor’s purview. Additionally, the scope involves the engineering and execution of bus extension works to integrate the BESS facilities into the 33 kV switchgear of the designated solar plants.
The selected contractor will also deploy auxiliary supply systems for the BESS plants, implement emergency power arrangements for grid failures, configure the Energy Management System (EMS) and incorporate future-ready provisions for grid-charging and solar asset integration. The EMS must robustly support scheduling and dispatch operations in alignment with grid and Regional Load Dispatch Centre (RLDC) mandates.
To ensure regulatory adherence, NTPC REL requires strict compliance with the latest guidelines from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and relevant Load Dispatch Centres (LDCs). All battery management systems, EMS platforms and fire safety systems must strictly conform to applicable Indian and international standards, including IS, IEC and IEEE requirements.
Finally, the EPC contractor will be responsible for engineering documentation, design calculations, performance test procedures, operator training and the supply of specialized maintenance tools and tackles. The contractual scope concludes with the successful integration and commissioning at the owner’s 33 kV pooling switchgear, including any necessary switchgear extension works.
The Bikaner BESS projects are being developed to support renewable energy integration and help stabilize Rajasthan’s power grid, which has a large amount of solar generation capacity. The battery systems will help manage grid balancing and peak power demand as more renewable energy projects come online.