Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL) has signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for procurement of 50 MW of solar power along with battery energy storage for Chandigarh.
The agreement was announced on 31 August 2026 and is expected to provide around 135 million units (MUs) of electricity annually. According to a statement attributed to a CPDL official, the arrangement is also expected to reduce more than 96 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
The PPA has been signed under SECI’s Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) Tranche XX. The arrangement is expected to provide Chandigarh with its first solar power supply connected through the ISTS network.
Solar Power Combined with Battery Storage
Under the agreement, CPDL will procure 50 MW of solar power supported by a battery energy storage system. Solar generation is expected to primarily contribute to Chandigarh’s electricity requirements during periods of solar availability, while the storage system will support electricity supply during periods when solar generation is unavailable.
The publicly available announcement does not specify the power rating or energy capacity of the battery storage system. Details such as the BESS MW rating, MWh capacity, storage duration, battery chemistry, round-trip efficiency and detailed dispatch requirements have not been disclosed in the sources currently available.
Therefore, the 50 MW figure should be treated as the contracted solar power capacity and not as the capacity of the battery system.
The distinction is important because the power and energy ratings of a BESS are separate parameters. Without an official specification, the storage capacity or duration associated with this PPA cannot be established from the public announcement.
25-Year Agreement Under SECI’s ISTS Tranche XX
The agreement has been structured for a period of 25 years under SECI’s ISTS Tranche XX. The ISTS network enables electricity generated in one part of the country to be transmitted to consumers in another part through the national transmission system.
For Chandigarh, the arrangement expands access to renewable power beyond generation available within the Union Territory. The contracted solar supply will therefore be integrated into the city’s electricity procurement through the interstate transmission framework.
The agreement also links renewable generation with battery storage within the same procurement arrangement. This provides a mechanism for renewable electricity to support demand beyond the periods of direct solar generation, subject to the operating and scheduling conditions of the contract.
Regulatory Approval Came Before the PPA
The PPA announcement follows regulatory proceedings before the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for the State of Goa and Union Territories.
JERC’s official Chandigarh PPA records show that Petition No. 186/2026 concerned CPDL’s request for approval of a draft Power Sale Agreement proposed with SECI for procurement of 50 MW of solar power with an energy storage system. The Commission’s records show an order date of 14 August 2026.
The regulatory record provides an important primary-source reference for the procurement. It establishes that the 50 MW solar-plus-storage arrangement had already gone through the regulatory approval process before the signing announced on 31 August.
The sequence illustrates the stages involved in long-term electricity procurement: regulatory approval of the proposed agreement, execution of the PPA, and subsequent development and delivery of the contracted power.
Chandigarh’s First ISTS-Connected Solar Supply
According to the announcement, the agreement will give Chandigarh its first solar power supply connected through the Inter-State Transmission System.
The development adds another source of renewable electricity to the Union Territory’s power procurement portfolio. Rather than relying only on locally available generation, CPDL will be able to procure solar power through an interstate arrangement facilitated by SECI.
The inclusion of battery storage also differentiates the procurement from a conventional solar-only power purchase agreement. The storage component is intended to support electricity availability during periods when solar generation is not producing power.
However, the exact operating profile of the storage system, including its contracted duration and dispatch obligations, remains undisclosed in the publicly available information.
Around 135 Million Units of Annual Supply
The PPA is expected to deliver approximately 135 million units of electricity annually to Chandigarh.
The annual supply figure provides an indication of the scale of electricity procurement covered by the agreement, while the 25-year contract period establishes a long-term renewable power supply arrangement for CPDL.
The project is also expected to reduce more than 96 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, according to the CPDL statement reported following the agreement.
These figures are associated with the overall procurement arrangement and should not be interpreted as specifications of the battery system itself.
Key Details Yet to Be Disclosed
While the PPA establishes the solar procurement capacity and contract duration, several technical details of the storage component are not publicly available.
These include the BESS power capacity in MW, energy capacity in MWh, storage duration, battery technology, minimum state-of-charge requirements, charging and discharging conditions, degradation provisions and performance guarantees.
The availability of these details would provide a clearer picture of how the storage system is expected to operate within the contracted solar supply.
For now, the confirmed information establishes the arrangement as a 50 MW solar procurement with battery energy storage under a 25-year SECI agreement, rather than providing a complete technical specification of the BESS.
Conclusion
CPDL’s 25-year PPA with SECI marks a new step in Chandigarh’s procurement of renewable electricity by combining solar power with battery energy storage under an interstate transmission arrangement.
The agreement covers 50 MW of solar power and is expected to provide around 135 million units of electricity annually. It also represents Chandigarh’s first solar power supply connected through the ISTS network, according to the announcement.
The technical specifications and operating requirements of the battery system remain to be disclosed publicly. Those details will be important for understanding how the storage component will contribute to the contracted renewable power supply.
With the PPA now signed, the arrangement establishes a long-term framework for Chandigarh to procure solar electricity with storage support through SECI and the ISTS network.
References
1. Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) – Official Chandigarh PPA Records
Official JERC record for Petition No. 186/2026 concerning approval of the draft Power Sale Agreement between CPDL and SECI for procurement of 50 MW solar power with an energy storage system. The order is dated 14 August 2026.
JERC – Chandigarh PPA Orders
2. Energetica India – 31 August 2026
Industry report on the CPDL-SECI PPA for 50 MW solar power with battery storage.
Energetica India – CPDL Signs PPA with SECI
3. PTI / ET EnergyWorld – 1 September 2026
PTI report confirming CPDL’s announcement of the agreement with SECI for 50 MW of solar power with battery energy storage and an expected annual supply of around 135 million units.
ET EnergyWorld – CPDL Signs Pact with SECI
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