Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI) has begun the bidding process for a gigawatt-scale high-altitude renewable energy project: a 1,000 MW solar PV plant paired with a 1,000 MW/4,000 MWh energy storage system at Pang in Leh district, Ladakh. Through a notice published on 21 October 2026, the Navratna central public sector enterprise under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) invited prospective bidders to a site visit on 27 October 2026, ahead of the formal release of the tender documents.
Two Tenders, Two Delivery Models
SECI plans to take the project forward under both the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) route and the developer route. The first is a tender for the design, engineering, supply, construction, erection, testing, commissioning, and operation and maintenance of a 1,000 MW (AC) solar PV power plant with a 1,000 MW/4,000 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Pang. The second is a Request for Selection (RfS) to choose solar power developers for 1,000 MW of ISTS-connected solar PV projects with 1,000 MW/4,000 MWh of energy storage at Pang, under tariff-based competitive bidding.
Both documents carry the same capacity specification, which translates into four hours of storage at full rated output. SECI has not yet disclosed how capacity will be allocated between the two modes, or details such as bid deadlines, eligibility criteria, the power purchase agreement tenure and the commissioning schedule. These are expected once the tender documents are issued.
Site Visit Arrangements
Interested bidders must register for the site visit by 6:00 PM on 26 October 2026 and obtain a visitor permit through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh permit portal. Given the high altitude of the location, SECI has advised participants to arrive in Leh at least 24 hours in advance to acclimatise. Each organisation may send a maximum of two representatives, and the exact details of the visit will be shared with registered bidders by email.
Anchored in the 13 GW Ladakh Plan
The Pang project forms part of a long-planned renewable energy hub in Ladakh. The Prime Minister announced a 7.5 GW solar park in Ladakh in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2020. After extensive field surveys, MNRE prepared a plan for 13 GW of renewable generation capacity along with a 12 GWh BESS at Pang.
Storage is central to that design. The Central Transmission Utility of India Limited (CTUIL) has noted in its ISTS network planning that integrating 12 GWh of BESS at Pang would allow the overall transmission capacity from the region to be limited to 5 GW. The 4,000 MWh specified for the latest project equals one-third of that planned storage capacity.
Transmission Plan Revised to EHVAC
On 18 October 2023, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II Inter-State Transmission System for the 13 GW Ladakh project at an estimated cost of ₹20,773.70 crore, with Central Financial Assistance of 40% (₹8,309.48 crore) and a completion target of FY 2029-30. Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) was named the implementing agency in view of the region’s complex terrain, adverse climate and defence sensitivities. The approved scheme envisaged 713 km of transmission lines, including a 480 km HVDC line, and 5 GW HVDC terminals at Pang and at Kaithal in Haryana.
The technology choice has since changed. According to CTUIL’s agenda for its 40th consultation meeting on Northern Region transmission schemes, held in September 2025, bidding for the voltage source converter (VSC) based HVDC link between Pang and Kaithal could not be concluded owing to technical issues raised by equipment manufacturers. Following meetings in August 2025, including those convened by the Central Electricity Authority, an extra-high-voltage AC (EHVAC) scheme was finalised. It includes a 400/220 kV pooling station at Pang connected to renewable energy developers’ pooling stations, and a 220 kV Pang–Leh (Phyang) line to supply renewable power to Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir. The timeline for power flow from the Pang solar-plus-storage capacity will therefore depend closely on the progress of this evacuation system.
From Pilot Scale to Gigawatt Scale
The new tenders follow an earlier, much smaller effort at the same location. In June 2025, SECI floated an RfS for a 500 kW ground-mounted solar PV pilot project at Pang under tariff-based competitive bidding, but terminated that process in July 2025. The current plan moves directly to gigawatt-scale capacity with integrated long-duration storage.
An Active Month for Storage Procurement
The Pang notice comes amid a busy procurement calendar at SECI. On 1 October 2026, the agency issued the SECI-ESS-IV tender for the supply of energy from 800 MW/3,200 MWh of standalone BESS, and on 7 October it floated the SECI-FDRE-X tender for assured peak supply of 4,800 MWh (1,200 MW × 4 hours) from ISTS-connected renewable energy projects. Together with Pang, these tenders show four-hour storage emerging as a recurring specification in SECI’s procurement.
Outlook
For bidders, Pang combines significant scale with considerable complexity: a gigawatt-scale solar and four-hour storage installation at a remote, high-altitude site, with its evacuation infrastructure still being finalised. The site visit on 27 October will mark SECI’s first direct engagement with prospective bidders on the project. The publication of the EPC tender and the developer-mode RfS, along with their commercial terms and timelines, will be the next milestone to watch.
Official Sources
- SECI – Site visit notice: Upcoming 1000 MW Solar PV with 1000 MW/4000 MWh ESS in Pang, Leh under EPC and Developer mode (21 October 2026): https://www.seci.co.in/uploads/news/1792572645_Leh_site_visit_notification.pdf
- SECI – What’s New: Latest announcements and tenders: https://www.seci.co.in/latest-news
- Press Information Bureau – Cabinet approves Green Energy Corridor (GEC) Phase-II – ISTS for 13 GW Renewable Energy Project in Ladakh (18 October 2023): https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1968732
- CTUIL – Additional Agenda for 40th Consultation Meeting for Evolving Transmission Schemes in Northern Region (12 September 2025): https://www.ctuil.in/uploads/ists_consultation_meeting/agenda/175758267094Additional%20Agenda%20for%2040th%20CMETS%20NR%20meeting_F.pdf
- CTUIL – Network Plan (2024-25), Inter-State Transmission System: https://www.ctuil.in/uploads/annual_rolling_plan/ISTS%20Network%20Plan%20upto%20Year%202024-25.pdf
- SECI – RfS for 500 kW Ground-mounted Solar PV Pilot Project at Pang, Leh (June 2025): https://www.seci.co.in/tender-details/YmJ3
- SECI – Termination of 500 kW Ground-mounted Solar PV Pilot Project at Pang, Leh (11 July 2025): https://www.seci.co.in/uploads/tenders/corrigendums/Annulment_500_kW__Pang_Leh.pdf
- SECI – RfS for Supply of Energy from 800 MW/3200 MWh Standalone BESS (SECI-ESS-IV): https://www.seci.co.in/tender-details/Ympx
- SECI – RfS for Assured Peak Supply of 4800 MWh (1200 MW x 4 Hrs.) (SECI-FDRE-X): https://www.seci.co.in/tender-details/Ymp-
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