Coal India Seeks Contractor for Decade-and-a-Half of Grid Storage Operations Across Odisha, India

Coal India Limited's push into grid-scale energy storage has taken a concrete form with the release of an engineering, procurement and construction tender covering four battery energy storage installations totalling 80 MW and 320 MWh across Odisha, with the winning contractor bound to operate and maintain the systems for 15 years after commissioning.

A Long-Term Commitment Built Into the Contract

Unlike procurement exercises that separate construction from ongoing operations, this tender bundles both into a single turnkey obligation. The contractor awarded the job will carry responsibility not only for design, manufacturing, supply, installation, testing and commissioning, but also for comprehensive operation and maintenance services running 15 years beyond the point of commissioning.

The bid submission deadline is October 9, 2026, with techno-commercial bids scheduled to be opened the following day, October 10. The project is being developed by Coal India in association with its subsidiary Mahanadi Coalfields, which is responsible for handing over land at each of the four designated sites. Construction must be completed within 11 months from the date of the Letter of Award or from the date of land handover by Coal India or Mahanadi Coalfields, whichever occurs later.

Four Substations, Equal Shares

The 80 MW/320 MWh total capacity is divided equally across four Odisha Power Transmission Corporation grid substations. Each site, located at Padampur, New Bolangir, Bhatli and Basta, will host a 20 MW/80 MWh battery energy storage system.

The scope at every location includes civil works, permits, insurance and associated equipment, in addition to the core storage installation. Each installation must also be connected to the grid through a newly developed 33 kV switchyard evacuation bay, complete with metering, at the respective substation. The evacuation arrangement at each site must run via underground cable from the battery energy storage system to the designated point of interconnection.

Three Pathways to Qualify

Coal India has structured technical eligibility through three separate routes, allowing battery manufacturers, system integrators and renewable energy contractors to compete on the basis of their respective experience. The first route is reserved for battery manufacturers. T

o qualify, a bidder must have manufactured and supplied batteries for grid-connected battery energy storage projects with a cumulative capacity of at least 64 MWh. Within that total, a minimum of 16 MWh must have been supplied through a single order at one location and must have been operational for at least six months before the bid deadline. The second route applies to BESS integrators, suppliers, aggregators, EPC contractors and developers.

The cumulative commissioned capacity requirement is again set at 64 MWh, with the same single-order, single-location minimum of 16 MWh and the six-month operational requirement. Under this route, projects where the battery was provided by the developer or owner as a free-issue item are also counted toward eligibility.

The third route is open to EPC contractors or developers whose experience lies in grid-connected solar photovoltaic or wind power rather than battery storage. Qualifying bidders must have executed a project of at least 16 MWac at a single location under a single order within the last seven years, with that project operational for at least six months before the deadline. As with the second route, projects where modules or wind turbines were supplied as free-issue items by the developer or owner are eligible.

Financial Bar Set at INR 119 Crore Average Turnover

Financial eligibility requirements accompany the technical criteria. Bidders must demonstrate an average annual turnover of at least INR 119.076 crore across the three most recent financial years. They must also show a minimum net worth of INR 59.538 crore as of the close of the most recent financial year. An earnest money deposit of INR 50 lakh is required from all bidders at the time of submission.

Odisha as the Setting for a Significant Storage Procurement

The tender places Odisha at the centre of what amounts to a substantial standalone battery storage procurement. By drawing technical eligibility criteria broadly enough to include manufacturers, integrators and renewable energy developers, Coal India has sought to maximise competition across different segments of the energy industry. The involvement of Mahanadi Coalfields in land provision links the state-owned mining group's existing asset base to its emerging role in storage infrastructure development.