NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), a subsidiary of NTPC, has floated a tender for setting up a 250 MW / 500 MWh standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on behalf of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEBL). NVVN has been appointed as KSEBL’s authorised representative to conduct the bidding process, which will also include Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support to encourage developer participation.

The tender specifies a minimum bid size of 500 MWh, equivalent to a 250 MW system with two hours of charging and two hours of discharging capacity per cycle. The project will be located near the 220 kV Brahmapuram Substation (SS Brahmapuram) in the vicinity of the Brahmapuram Diesel Power Plant (BDPP) in Kerala, and around 9 acres of land have been earmarked for development.

Bidders are required to submit proposals for the entire 250 MW / 500 MWh capacity. The land, owned by KSEBL, will be provided to the selected BESS developer on a right-to-use basis through an annual lease agreement of Rs 1 per project per year. KSEBL will allocate the land within 60 days of signing the Battery Energy Storage Project Agreement (BESPA). Any delay in land transfer will result in an extension of the financial closure and commissioning timelines.

The tender, supported by the Power System Development Fund (PSDF), will remain open for bids until 11 November 2025.

NVVN’s earlier tender for a 500 MW / 1,000 MWh BESS saw contracts awarded to five developers, with highly competitive tariffs. The lowest bid of Rs 21.6 billion per MW per month was submitted by Solar19 Cleantech Ltd for a 50 MW project. Rays Power Experts secured another 50 MW at Rs 21.87 billion, while Stockwell Solar Services won the largest share of 225 MW at Rs 21.9 billion. Oriana Power and INOX Renewable Energy each secured 225 MW at close tariffs of Rs 21.9 billion.

The new BESS tender is expected to attract similar participation from leading energy developers, marking a major step in Kerala’s renewable energy storage roadmap. Once operational, the 250 MW / 500 MWh system will strengthen grid reliability, enable better energy balancing, and support India’s broader push toward sustainable energy infrastructure.