Grid Corporation of Odisha (GRIDCO) has taken a significant step towards enhancing the state’s power infrastructure by inviting bids for the provision of 500 MW of energy storage capacity. The state-owned power transmission utility aims to integrate energy storage solutions with either the Central Transmission Utility (CTU) or Odisha State Transmission Utility (STU), offering 5 hours of peak support over a period of 5 years. Interested bidders, who must be reputed and eligible, are required to register on the e-tender portal and pay a registration fee of INR 2360. Additionally, a tender fee of the same amount is needed for accessing bidding documents.

The selected bidder will supply power to GRIDCO for 5 years from a technology-agnostic energy storage system, starting from April 1, 2026. The bidder will also set up the energy storage system and ensure its interconnection with the CTU/Odisha STU network. The nature of the energy storage system chosen by the bidder must align with specified criteria and performance standards outlined in the Request for Services (RFS) and the energy storage power agreement (ESPA). Moreover, the Energy Storage System Developer (ESSD) will be responsible for injecting power into the network in accordance with dispatch instructions from the State Load Dispatch Centre, Odisha. A pre-bid meeting is scheduled for April 6, 2024, with bid submissions due by April 23, 2024. Intimation to qualified bidders will be provided on April 30, 2024, followed by the e-reverse auction on May 8, 2024. The letter of award (LOA) is expected to be issued on May 20, 2024, with bids valid for 120 days from the due date.