NTPC Ltd has planned capital expenditure of over Rs.5,800 crore in setting up battery energy storage system (BESS) units at its various thermal power generating stations, across the nation.
The board of NTPC, in its meeting held on March 28, 2026, approved investment of Rs.5,821.90 crore, in putting up BESS units with a total capacity of 4.70 GWh (or 4,700 MWh) at its various power stations.
It may be recalled that NTPC had recently called for EPC bids for putting up BESS units during October 2025 and January 2026. The tenders were invited in two lots — 2,334 MWh in Lot-1 and 2,670 MWh in Lot-2 — aggregating 5,004 MWh.
Based on information available, NTPC is learnt to have awarded most of these tenders, with winners including names like G R Infraprojects Ltd, Solarworld Energy Solutions Ltd and Enviro Infra Engineers Ltd, among others.
As per the tender terms, the BESS projects have to be commissioned within 15 months from the date of commencement, followed by O&M for a period of 11 years after completion of performance guarantee (PG) tests.
Based on public announcements made by some winners, G R Infraprojects Ltd has won the mandate to put up a 400 MWh BESS at NTPC’s Mouda power plant in Maharashtra. The contract is valued at Rs.413.37 crore. Similarly, Enviro Infra Engineers Ltd has won a Rs.405.71 crore mandate to commission BESS units at Tanda (Uttar Pradesh) and Bongaigaon (Assam).
Noida-headquartered Solarworld Energy Solutions Ltd has clinched several mandates corresponding to BESS capacity aggregating 514 MWh, with a total contract value of nearly Rs.600 crore. One BESS unit under the contract will come up at Unchahar (Uttar Pradesh) and will have 100 MWh capacity. Two others will be put up at Solapur (one each of Lot-1 and Lot-2) with a total capacity of 414 MWh.
Based on information available for 1,264 MWh of BESS capacity awarded, the average cost works out to Rs.1.12 crore per MWh.
India’s BESS plans
According to information recently tabled in Parliament, India currently has around 9,654 MW/26,729 MWh of BESS capacity under construction and another 19,798 MW/61,013 MWh under tendering stage.
Also read: NTPC outlines over Rs.5,800 crore capex in BESS
Addendum: Pace Digitek, in a release, said that it has won a BESS-related order valued at Rs.494.50 crore for implementing a 400 MWh package at NTPC’s Nabinagar power plant in Bihar.
Featured photograph (source: Pace Digitek) is for representation only