Image: Energy Vault
NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), the renewable energy subsidiary of India’s state-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), has initiated two Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) EPC tenders with a combined capacity of 380MW/1.52GWh.
The projects aim to enhance the flexibility of thermal power plants and improve grid stability, aligning with India’s goal of achieving 500GW of non-fossil energy capacity by 2030.
The first project, attached to the Kayamkulam Thermal Power Plant in Kerala, will deploy a 250MW/1GWh BESS.
According to tender documents, the system will be split into two 125MW/500MWh blocks, utilizing a standardized containerized design with each container having a DC capacity of no less than 5MWh. The storage system will be connected to the 33kV solar pool switchgear and 220kV switchyard, integrated with a smart Energy Management System (EMS).
Upon completion, the project is expected to alleviate nighttime peak power demand in Kerala.
The second project involves a distributed storage network with a total capacity of 130MW/520MWh, comprising:
Sipat Thermal Power Plant (Chhattisgarh): 30MW/120MWh
The technical design adopts modular pre-fabricated cabin solutions, supporting grid black-start capabilities and Automatic Generation Control (AGC) functionality to optimize power supply stability for regional industrial load centers. The Sipat site will focus on decarbonizing coal-mining areas, accelerating the energy transition in high-carbon emission zones.
For global and domestic players, this represents a critical opportunity to demonstrate scalable BESS solutions while navigating India’s evolving local content requirements under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.
