NTPC REL Issues 16.7 MW/100 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow BESS Tender at Khavda

NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL) has issued a tender offering an EPC package for developing a 16.7 MW/100 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Khavda Solar Park in Gujarat. NTPC REL has invited bids for the tender until March 10, 2026.

Under the tender, NTPC REL requires the bidder to design, engineer, supply, pack and forward, transport, unload, store, install, and commission a grid-connected Vanadium Redox Flow-based Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Vanadium Redox Flow BESS is a long-duration energy storage (LDES) technology well-suited for utility-scale applications, unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, and is known for its high cycle life.

NTPC REL had earlier awarded a project under its erstwhile NETRA division (NTPC Energy Technology Research Alliance) for a 3 MWh Vanadium Redox Flow Battery (VRFB)-based Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to Delectrik Systems. NETRA awarded the VRFB long-duration energy storage (LDES) flow battery tender, Gurugram-based, to augment the storage capacity of its microgrid and achieve full one-day autonomy, a move aimed at making NETRA self-sufficient in meeting its power requirements. Moreover, LDES technology is key in supporting grid reliability, particularly as power demand increases due to expanding data centres, widespread electrification, and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence applications. 

 Scope Of Work

Under the scope of work, the bidder must obtain site-specific data from the owner to prepare installation and implementation plans. It will also be responsible for providing all equipment, components, and services necessary to install a fully functional BESS. The BESS capacity to be considered is the rated AC discharge capacity at the point of injection or metering. It will be integrated at the 33 kV pooling substation of the solar plant.

The tender also requires the bidder to undertake comprehensive Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of the BESS for 10 years from the date of successful commissioning. Grid compliance studies, reactive power compensation, and power quality compliance for the entire BESS system up to the 400 kV grid interconnection point at the NTPC REL project switchyard will also fall within the bidder’s scope.