UPPCL Issues RfS for 1200 MWh Battery Energy Storage System in UP

The Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) has issued a Request for Selection (RfS) document for the development of a 1200 MWh (300 MW x 4 hours) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at a designated load centre in Uttar Pradesh.

This initiative, under a tariff-based competitive bidding process, aims to select Battery Energy Storage System Developers (BESSD) to set up the storage system for 'on-demand' usage.

The selected BESS developers will establish the system on a Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) basis. They will be responsible for the setup, maintenance, and interconnection of the BESS with the intra-state network. The project is technology-agnostic, meaning developers can choose any battery storage system, charged by any energy source, without the necessity of owning the energy source.

UPPCL will handle the charging and discharging operations of the system for the capacity under contract. The BESSD will bear the full cost of transmission up to the interconnection point, including the construction of the transmission line, maintenance, and associated charges. The UPPCL will cover intra-state transmission charges and losses incurred during the charging and discharging phases.

The RfS document specifies a non-refundable document fee of INR 25,000 plus GST, and a document processing fee of INR 1 lakh plus GST. An Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) of INR 7,40,000 per MW is required, to be submitted in the form of a Bank Guarantee. Additionally, selected bidders must provide a Performance Bank Guarantee (PBG) of INR 18,50,000 per MW before signing the Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement (BESPA).

The UPPCL has proposed promoting commercially established and operational technologies to minimise technology risks and ensure the timely commissioning of projects. Bidders must demonstrate their financial capability with a minimum net worth of INR 74,00,000 per MW of quoted capacity, a minimum annual turnover of INR 18,50,000 per MW, or equivalent internal resource generation or line of credit. 

Bidders can only submit one bid offering a contracted capacity of one project, ranging from 50 MW to 300 MW, in multiples of 50 MW. 

After the BESPA term expires, the project will be transferred to UPPCL. Interested bidders are required to submit their proposals in complete form before the deadline specified on the UPPCL website and the Bid Information Sheet.