Reliance Industries awarded 10 GWh capacity under PLI ACC scheme • EVreporter

The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI), Government of India, has announced the selection of a successful bidder under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage. Reliance Industries Limited has been awarded a 10 GWh ACC capacity under the PLI scheme, following the Quality & Cost Based Selection (QCBS) mechanism. This decision aims to enhance domestic manufacturing capacity, reduce import dependence, and support India’s positioning in the ACC battery manufacturing sector.

The MHI received seven bids under a global tender for the re-bidding of the PLI scheme for 10 GWh ACC manufacturing, with a budgetary outlay of INR 3,620 crores, as announced on January 24, 2024. The bidders included ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Limited, Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Private Limited, Anvi Power Industries Private Limited, JSW Neo Energy Limited, Lucas TVS Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, and Waaree Energies Limited, with a cumulative bid capacity of 70 GWh.

Following the evaluation of all bids, six companies were shortlisted for financial evaluation, according to the RFP requirements. The financial bids were opened on August 2, 2024, after the technical evaluation was completed through the Government of India’s CPP portal. The final evaluation of the shortlisted bidders was conducted according to the QCBS mechanism, ranking them based on combined technical and financial scores.

Reliance Industries Limited, with the highest overall score, was awarded the 10 GWh PLI ACC capacity. The remaining five shortlisted bidders were placed on a waiting list in the following order: ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Limited (Waitlist 1), Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Private Limited (Waitlist 2), Waaree Energies Limited (Waitlist 3), JSW Neo Energy Limited (Waitlist 4), and Lucas TVS Limited (Waitlist 5).

The PLI ACC scheme, approved by the Cabinet in May 2021 with an outlay of INR 18,100 crore, aims to achieve a manufacturing capacity of 50 GWh of ACC. The first round of ACC PLI bidding concluded in March 2022, with three beneficiary firms allocated a total capacity of 30 GWh. The program agreements with the selected firms were signed in July 2022. The PLI ACC scheme has seen significant participation from the industry, reflecting the increasing interest in ACC manufacturing in India.

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