L&T Construction has commissioned 185 MW of grid-connected solar capacity integrated with a 254 MWh battery energy storage system at Kajra in Lakhisarai district, marking India’s largest commissioned solar-plus-BESS project to date. The project has been developed for Bihar State Power Generation Co Ltd and was executed by L&T on an EPC basis.

The tender was issued in December 2023, with L&T awarded the EPC contract along with 10 years of operations and maintenance in June 2024. The co-located battery energy storage system enables solar energy to be stored during periods of low demand and discharged during peak hours. It also supports smoothing of generation fluctuations, frequency regulation and voltage support, while providing black-start capability to enable rapid grid re-energisation following outages.

The Kajra installation is the second large-scale BESS project to be commissioned in India, following an earlier project in Chhattisgarh. Battery supplier Hithium delivered 82 containerised BESS units using lithium iron phosphate chemistry with liquid-cooling technology, designed to ensure safety, efficiency and reliable performance in high-temperature conditions.