APTRANSCO Floats Tender for 2 GWh Standalone BESS with VGF Support

The Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited (APTRANSCO) has invited bids for setting up a 2 GWh (1,000 MW x 2 hours) standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project. The tender will be awarded under a tariff-based competitive bidding process with Viability Gap Funding (VGF) support. The last date of submission of the bids is September 29. 

According to the tender document, the selected developer will be responsible for setting up, operating, and maintaining the BESS facility. The storage system will primarily serve state DISCOMs and the State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC) by providing charging and discharging services on an “on-demand” basis.

Scope of Work 

“The scope includes the establishment of the BESS, its interconnection with the State Transmission Utility (STU) network, and complete operations and maintenance, including equipment and personnel safety. The request for selection (RfS) is technology-agnostic, provided the proposed system meets the defined performance criteria under the RfS and the Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement (BESPA),” the tender stated.

The document further noted that land at each substation will be allocated to developers in proportion to the proposed BESS capacity. Selection of the developer will be based on the tariff or annualized capacity charges quoted. For the purpose of the RfS and BESPA, the term “Project” refers solely to the contracted BESS facility.

The minimum bid capacity must not be lower than the specified capacity at each designated location. The BESS facility is also required to maintain at least 95% annual availability, failing which penalties will apply.

To support the project, VGF of up to ₹18 lakh/MWh will be provided, the tender added.