Maharashtra Reaches Bid Deadline for 59 MW Floating Solar Project With 59 MWh Battery System
Maharashtra's development process for a floating solar and battery project at Ekrukh Reservoir reaches its August 5 EOI deadline, pairing up to 59 MW of solar with a 29 MW/59 MWh battery system.
Microgrid Media Editorial Desk
Published · Updated · 5 min read
The Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation reaches its August 5 expression-of-interest deadline for a proposed floating solar and battery energy storage project at Ekrukh Reservoir in Solapur district, Maharashtra, moving the state-led development toward its next procurement stage. The proposed hybrid project, known as the Ekrukh floating solar battery project, would combine up to approximately 59 MW of floating solar generation with a 29 MW/59 MWh battery energy storage system, making storage a core part of the project rather than a later optional addition.
The proposed battery would provide roughly two hours of storage at its 29 MW power rating, consistent with Maharashtra’s current minimum storage-duration framework for qualifying new renewable projects targeted for commissioning through fiscal 2029-30. The Ekrukh development is being structured as a public-private partnership with a targeted commercial operation date in fiscal 2028-29.
The project combines floating solar and storage from the outset
According to Mercom India’s review of the procurement, the Maharashtra Krishna Valley Development Corporation invited expressions of interest for development of the project at Ekrukh Reservoir under a public-private partnership model.
The Ekrukh floating solar battery project is expected to set a precedent for future renewable energy developments in the region.
Project documentation reviewed by multiple Indian energy publications describes a tentative configuration of approximately 81 MWp of direct-current floating photovoltaic capacity, corresponding to roughly 58 to 59 MW of alternating-current output, alongside the 29 MW/59 MWh battery.
The Battery Magazine’s procurement review says the selected private concessionaire would be responsible for planning, design, financing, construction, commissioning, operation and maintenance.
The innovative Ekrukh floating solar battery project aims to leverage the benefits of renewable energy while addressing storage challenges.
The battery reflects Maharashtra’s new storage requirements
The project’s storage configuration is closely tied to Maharashtra’s broader renewable-energy policy.
The Government of Maharashtra’s Renewable Energy and Energy Storage Policy 2025-26 to 2035-36 establishes a long-term strategy centered on renewable generation, hybrid projects and energy storage.
For new contracted solar, wind and wind-solar hybrid projects, the policy envisages storage power capacity equivalent to at least 50% of renewable generation capacity. It establishes a minimum two-hour storage duration for projects commissioned through fiscal 2029-30 and at least four hours beginning in fiscal 2030-31.
The integration of storage solutions in the Ekrukh floating solar battery project exemplifies the state’s commitment to renewable energy.
The Ekrukh battery’s 29 MW power rating is approximately half of the project’s roughly 58 MW AC solar rating, while its 59 MWh energy capacity provides slightly more than two hours of discharge at full rated battery power.
The project would use reservoir surface instead of additional land
By utilizing the reservoir for the Ekrukh floating solar battery project, land use concerns are significantly minimized.
Floating photovoltaic systems place solar modules on buoyant structures installed on reservoirs or other suitable water bodies.
The approach can reduce the amount of additional land required for utility-scale solar development, an important consideration in regions where land availability, agriculture and competing development needs can constrain conventional projects.
The Ekrukh proposal remains subject to detailed project development and validation. Preliminary feasibility work identified the reservoir as potentially suitable for large-scale floating photovoltaic deployment, but final engineering, environmental and commercial details will depend on subsequent project stages.
A private concessionaire would develop and operate the project
The proposed procurement uses a Lease-Develop-Operate-Transfer structure rather than conventional direct government construction.
Under the framework described in the EOI, a selected private developer would finance and build the project and operate it under a concession currently envisaged at 25 years from commercial operation.
This unique approach in the Ekrukh floating solar battery project highlights the importance of private sector involvement in renewable initiatives.
The development model transfers substantial design, financing, construction and operational responsibility to the private-sector concessionaire while retaining the project within a government-led public-private partnership framework.
Trade publication MVA Pulse’s review of the procurement independently identifies the August 5 deadline, Ekrukh Reservoir location, approximately 59 MW solar capacity and 29 MW/59 MWh storage configuration.
Maharashtra is planning substantially more renewable energy with storage
Ekrukh is relatively modest compared with Maharashtra’s long-term ambitions, but its configuration illustrates the state’s changing approach to renewable development.
As the Ekrukh floating solar battery project illustrates, the state’s strategy evolves to meet increasing energy demands with innovative solutions.
The state policy calls for at least 10 GW of newly contracted solar, wind and wind-solar hybrid capacity with co-located storage by fiscal 2029-30, increasing to 25 GW by fiscal 2035-36.
Rather than treating storage as a separate grid asset, that framework increasingly pairs batteries directly with new renewable generation.
The policy also calls for distributed energy storage to improve reliability on rural feeders, support critical loads and help distribution systems manage areas with high concentrations of distributed solar.
What happens after the August 5 deadline
The August 5 milestone closes the expression-of-interest stage; it does not constitute a construction award or establish that the project will be built exactly as currently configured.
The authority will still need to advance the procurement process, select a qualified private developer and complete the detailed technical, environmental, commercial and permitting work required for implementation.
The targeted fiscal 2028-29 commercial operation date also remains prospective rather than guaranteed.
What is established at this stage is the intended architecture: a large floating photovoltaic installation paired from the beginning with a two-hour-class battery system. That structure reflects Maharashtra’s broader shift toward requiring renewable generation and storage to be planned together as the state adds more variable electricity resources to its grid.
The Ekrukh floating solar battery project is a pivotal step toward integrating renewable generation and energy storage.
The Microgrid Media Editorial Desk reports on microgrids, energy storage, grid modernization, data center power demand, distributed energy resources, and energy policy. Reporting published under the Editorial Desk byline is developed from primary regulatory records, utility filings, government documents, company disclosures, and independently verifiable sources, and is reviewed under Microgrid Media’s editorial standards.
Editorial oversight: Jonas Muthoni, Editor-in-Chief
