Solarworld and H.G. Infra win 1,000 MWh BESS tender from GUVNL

Solarworld Energy Solutions and H.G. Infra Engineering have emerged as winners in Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited’s (GUVNL) Phase VI auction for 500 MW/1,000 MWh of standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Solarworld secured 200 MW/400 MWh at a tariff of Rs 280,000 per MW per month. H.G. Infra won 300 MW/600 MWh at Rs 285,600 per MW per month. The auction was launched in January 2025. The tender is not covered under the central government’s viability gap funding scheme.

The selected developers must set up the BESS units and connect them to the state transmission network. The systems must use proven commercial technologies to reduce risk and ensure timely completion. The units must operate with a C rate of 0.5, and must support modular operation between 50 MW/100 MWh and 100 MW/200 MWh, scaling up to the full awarded capacity.

Each system must support two full operational cycles per day and maintain at least 95 per cent annual availability. The BESS will charge using power from Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation and discharge as per instructions from the state load dispatch centre, coordinated by GUVNL.

The systems must deliver an AC to AC round-trip efficiency of 85 per cent monthly. Developers must also secure separate metering for auxiliary power and ensure all auxiliary use is billed by the discom.