CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) has received bids from 21 companies to set up seven standalone Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects with a total capacity of 1,500 megawatt hours (MWh). The projects are expected to play a major role in strengthening the state’s renewable energy sector and a reliable power supply.
The selected companies will develop the BESS on a build-own-operate basis. The projects will be located across seven substations — three in Coimbatore (800MWh) two in Tiruchy (400MWh), one in Tirunelveli (100MWh) and one in Madurai (200MWh).
TNGECL Managing Director Aneesh Shekhar told TNIE that the evaluation of bids is currently in progress. “Once completed, the tenders will be opened and the projects will be awarded to the successful bidders at the earliest under the union government’s Viability Gap Funding scheme,” he said.
He noted that Tamil Nadu has an installed power capacity of about 44 gigawatts, with renewable energy accounting for nearly 55 per cent of the total mix. “Studies show that the state will require around 13 GW of energy storage by 2035 to manage fluctuations in renewable power generation and ensure grid stability,” he added.
Shekhar said TNGECL has already allocated 1,000 MWh of battery storage capacity and secured Rs 1,125 crore as viability gap funding for future projects. He said the corporation is currently planning to locate BESS units near substations to enable easy power transmission. TNGECL is open to installing battery storage systems near future solar power plants as well.