Rajasthan Awards 2.45 GW Solar-Plus-BESS Tender at Rs. 3.53–3.54/kWh

Rajasthan has awarded a 2.45 GW solar-plus-battery energy storage system (BESS) tender, the single largest such award in India so far. Winning tariffs came in at Rs. 3.53, 3.54 per kilowatt-hour, according to Saur Energy.

The tender, floated by the Rajasthan Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (RUVNL), pairs solar generation with battery storage to deliver power during peak hours. The awarded capacity is nearly double the 1.2 GW solar-plus-BESS tender that Rajasthan awarded earlier this year.

Developers quoted tariffs in a narrow band, with the lowest at Rs. 3.53/kWh and the highest at Rs. 3.54/kWh. The close spread shows intense competition among bidders.

Rajasthan already leads India in installed solar capacity, with over 20 GW as of mid-2026. The state's high solar irradiance and vast land banks have made it a preferred destination for renewable energy projects. Adding storage to solar projects helps address the intermittency problem that has plagued large-scale solar adoption.

Battery storage remains expensive, but falling cell prices and domestic manufacturing push under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme have brought tariffs down. The Rs. 3.53, 3.54/kWh range is among the lowest for solar-plus-storage in India, though still higher than standalone solar tariffs that hover around Rs. 2.50/kWh.

The tender's size signals that states are moving beyond pilot projects to large-scale storage procurement. Rajasthan's power demand peaks in the evening, when solar generation drops. Battery storage can shift daytime solar to evening hours, reducing reliance on coal-fired power.

Industry watchers say the award could set a benchmark for other states. Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have also floated solar-plus-storage tenders, but none at this scale.

RUVNL has not yet disclosed the list of winning developers or the exact capacity allocated to each. The tender was awarded on October 15, 2026, according to the Saur Energy report.

The state's renewable energy push aligns with India's target of 500 GW non-fossil capacity by 2030. Storage is a critical piece of that puzzle, and Rajasthan's latest award shows that large-scale procurement is now a reality.