The ministry said that the scheme has received an overwhelming response from the industry as the number of bids received is seven times the manufacturing capacity of 10 GWh to be awarded.

The list of bidders includes JSW Neo Energy Limited, Reliance Industries Limited, Lucas TVS Limited, Waaree Energies Limited, Amara Raja Advanced Cell Technologies Private Limited, Anvi Power Industries Private Limited and ACME Cleantech Solutions Private Limited for a total capacity of 70 GWh.

The last date for receiving applications under the scheme was April 22, 2024, and the technical bids were opened on April 23, 2024.

Advanced Chemistry Cells are new generation technologies that can store electric energy either as electrochemical or as chemical energy and convert it back to electric energy as and when required. The cells play a key role in helping to store solar and wind energy.

In May 2021, the Cabinet approved the technology-agnostic PLI Scheme on 'National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage’ for achieving a manufacturing capacity of 50 Giga Watt hours (GWh) with an outlay of Rs 18,100 crore. The first round of the ACC PLI bidding was concluded in March 2022, and three beneficiary firms were allocated a total capacity of 30-gigawatt hours (GWh), and the programme agreement with selected beneficiary firms was signed in July 2022.

The Ministry of Heavy Industries released a Request for Proposal (RfP) on January 24, 2024, for shortlisting and selection of bidders under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme 'National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage’ for setting up of ACC Manufacturing Units with a total manufacturing capacity of 10 Giga Watt Hour (GWh) with a maximum budgetary outlay of Rs 3,620 crore.