TPREL and NHPC partner to build battery storage system in Kerala

The project, secured under NHPC’s BESS Tranche-I tender through a competitive bidding route for Kerala State Electricity Board Limited, being the end user of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) asset, involves setting up a 30 MW / 120 MWh battery storage system at the 220 kV substation in Area Code, Kerala.

Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL), a subsidiary of The Tata Power Company Limited, has signed its first Battery Energy Storage Purchase Agreement (BESPA) with NHPC Limited (NHPC). The project, secured under NHPC’s BESS Tranche-I tender through a competitive bidding route for Kerala State Electricity Board Limited, being the end user of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) asset, involves setting up a 30 MW / 120 MWh battery storage system at the 220 kV substation in Area Code, Kerala.

The project will play a vital role in addressing peak power demand, enhancing grid flexibility, and enabling seamless integration of renewable energy in Kerala. It is part of NHPC’s broader initiative to develop 125 MW / 500 MWh of standalone battery storage capacity in the state of Kerala, under a tariff-based competitive bidding framework supported by viability gap funding.

The initiative supports the Government of India’s goal of achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. Implemented under Ministry of Power guidelines, the project will operate under a 12-year BESPA. The project is slated for commissioning within 15 months, positioning storage as a key enabler of round-the-clock renewable power and grid resilience.

In addition to this upcoming project, TPREL is already operating a solar and BESS project in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. This project comprises a 100 MW solar photovoltaic plant integrated with a 120 MWh utility-scale BESS, developed under an EPC contract awarded by the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited. 

The project with NHPC marks TPREL’s first win in the standalone BESS segment, reinforcing its commitment to delivering cutting-edge, dispatchable, and sustainable energy solutions. With this addition, TPREL’s total renewable capacity now stands at approximately 10.9 GW, including 5.6 GW of operational projects, comprising 4.6 GW of solar and 1 GW of wind, and 5.3 GW under various stages of development.