IndiGrid brings a 250 MW/500 MWh standalone battery at Bhadla into commercial operation
IndiGrid's 250 MW/500 MWh standalone battery at Bhadla, Rajasthan, began commercial operation on 27 October under a 12-year NVVN contract worth over ₹71 crore a year, adding grid flexibility to one of India's biggest solar hubs.
India's grid has gained another large block of battery storage in Rajasthan's solar belt. IndiGrid, the power transmission infrastructure investment trust, said its 250 MW / 500 MWh standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) at Bhadla reached commercial operation on 27 October 2026. The project is held through Rajasthan BESS Private Limited (RBPL) and was developed with EnerGrid.
The project at a glance
- Size: 250 MW of power and 500 MWh of energy — enough to discharge at full output for about two hours.
- Location: Bhadla, in the Thar desert of western Rajasthan, home to one of the world's largest solar parks.
- Offtaker: NTPC Vidyut Vyapar Nigam (NVVN), the trading arm of NTPC.
- Contract: A battery energy storage service agreement (BESSA) signed with NVVN in December 2024, running for 12 years from the commercial operation date on a build-own-operate basis.
- Revenue: More than ₹71 crore a year over the contract term, according to the company's filing.
- Technology partner: AmpereHour Energy.
How it was won
The project comes from a June 2024 NVVN tender for 1 GWh of standalone battery storage supported by viability gap funding (VGF), the government grant that narrows the gap between the cost of storage and what buyers can pay. IndiGrid secured 500 MWh — half of the tendered capacity — at a quoted tariff of about ₹2.37 lakh per MW per month. Reports differ on whether the award came in October or November 2024, but the BESSA was in place by December 2024. That puts the project at roughly two years from tender to commercial operation.
Reaching COD also triggers a change in ownership at RBPL. British International Investment and KNI India AS, which hold minority stakes, are to be given an exit by the trust.
Why standalone storage at Bhadla matters
Bhadla shows both sides of India's solar boom. Solar production is concentrated in daylight, while electricity demand continues after sunset.
A standalone battery, unlike one tied to a single solar plant, is a grid asset. It can charge when solar output is high and power is cheap, then discharge into the evening peak. Storage can also support grid balancing and reduce renewable curtailment, depending on dispatch and operating arrangements. As India pushes towards its 500 GW non-fossil capacity target for 2030, that flexibility is becoming as important as new generation.
IndiGrid's entry is notable because the trust's core business has been transmission lines and substations. Moving into storage under long-term, contracted payments fits its model of owning regulated, annuity-like assets. It also signals that storage is maturing into an infrastructure asset class that yield-focused investors can own.
What to watch
The first year of operation will show how well the system's availability and efficiency hold up in Bhadla's extreme heat and dust, which put stress on battery cooling. Its performance will also feed into how future VGF tenders are priced. For India's energy transition, each standalone battery that runs reliably makes the case for the next one easier.
Sources
- https://www.ess-news.com/2026/10/30/indian-grid-operator-commissions-250-mw-500-mwh-standalone-bess/
- https://renewablewatch.in/news/indigrid-commissions-500-mwh-bess-in-rajasthan-12767347
- https://www.saurenergy.com/solar-energy-news/rajasthan-indigrid-commissions-250-mw500-mwh-bess-project-at-bhadla-12763334
- https://powerpeakdigest.com/indigrid-250mw-500mwh-bess-rajasthan/
- https://solarbytes.info/battery-and-energy-storage-system/indigrid-standalone-bess-rajasthan-500-mwh-commercial-operation-12763118
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhadla_Solar_Park
- https://solarquarter.com/2026/07/16/acme-solar-commissions-110-336-mwh-battery-energy-storage-project-in-rajasthan/