Uttarakhand Power Corporation has issued a significant tender for the development of a 100 MW / 250 MWh standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) across the state’s power network. The move, aimed at strengthening grid flexibility and storage capacity, marks one of the largest energy storage procurement efforts by the utility so far. Bids for this tender are being accepted until March 10, 2026.
The tender has been structured into three clusters to optimise deployment based on load requirements, substation access, and land availability. The first portion, sized at 36 MW/90 MWh, will be developed across substations in Rudrapur, Kashipur, Haldwani, and Pithoragarh, covering districts like Udham Singh Nagar and Nainital.
A second segment of the project totalling 23 MW/57.5 MWh has been put up for development across seven locations in Dehradun, spanning both urban and rural areas. This cluster is designed to address load needs in and around the state capital.
The third and largest component, at 41 MW/102.5 MWh, will be rolled out across six sites including Uttarkashi, Haridwar, and Roorkee. Together, all three clusters will deliver the full 100 MW capacity and 250 MWh of storage envisioned under the tender.
Under the tender terms, selected Battery Energy Storage System Developers (BESSDs) will be responsible for the full project lifecycle, including site surveys, design, financing, supply, installation, testing, commissioning, and long-term operation and maintenance of the storage systems. The projects are planned to be implemented on a Build–Own–Operate (BOO) basis and are supported by Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to improve financial viability.
The BESS installations are expected to provide a wide range of grid services such as energy time-shift (arbitrage), ramping support for grid stability, frequency control, ancillary services, capacity augmentation deferral, resource adequacy support, and even backup and black-start capabilities for critical loads. This multi-use approach reflects UPCL’s strategy to maximise utilisation and strengthen grid resilience in the face of growing renewable integration and load variability.
