TN clears 1,500MWh battery storage projects to boost round-the-clock green power supply

Chennai: Tamil Nadu will soon get another 1,500MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) to store excess renewable power, as the Tamil Nadu Electricity Regulatory Commission (TNERC) has approved a list of three winning bidders to set up BESS in the state.Maharashtra-based Eagle Infra India Ltd will set up five standalone systems with a cumulative capacity of 175MW, and TNERC approved its lowest bid of 3.15 lakh/MW per month. Chennai-based OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd, the second-lowest bidder, will set up five BES systems for another 175 MW at the rate of 3.16 lakh/MW per month. The third-lowest bidder, Delhi-based Onward Solar Power Pvt Ltd, will set up a 25MW BESS, as it agreed to match the rate of the lowest bidder.
Once established, these battery storage systems can store and release up to 2.25 million units of green power every day. The bidders will set up the battery systems under the build-operate-transfer model for a period of 12 to 15 years and will get 18 lakh per MWh as viability gap funding from the govt.This is the second set of BESS projects to be established in the state after TN Green Energy Corporation in 2024 awarded contracts to NLCIL, Bondada and Oriana Power to set up systems for 1,000 MWh to store up to 2 million units of power daily and release it back into the grid.With several international firms seeking 100% green power, BESS will play a key role in ensuring round-the-clock supply of renewable power and making TN attractive for investments," said a TNGECL official. BESS projects will reduce reliance on the coal-based power plants during non-solar hours, considering the volatile nature of wind power generation.