KSEB floats tender for up to 800 MW to tide over monsoon power crisis
KSEB has invited bids for 300-800 MW of short-term power for October-December 2026, as Kerala faces a monsoon-season electricity crunch and night-time curbs.
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has floated a tender to procure between 300 MW and 800 MW of electricity for the three-month period from October to December 2026, as the State grapples with a monsoon-season power crisis and mounting criticism over night-time restrictions on supply.
The short-term purchases are intended to bridge the additional demand during evening peak hours and the early morning window. Bids have been invited from power generators, State utilities, captive power producers, distribution licensees, State electricity boards and traders for supply from October 1 to December 31, 2026. The procurement will be carried out through the Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price (DEEP) e-bidding portal, in line with Ministry of Power norms.
For October, the KSEB is seeking 300 MW to 600 MW for the 5 p.m. to midnight slot and for the period between midnight and 8.30 a.m. The requirement for November is also in the 300 MW to 600 MW range. For December, the board has pegged its need at 500 MW to 800 MW. Separately, it is looking to secure 300 MW of round-the-clock supply for each of the three months.
The tender was floated on Monday. Non-financial technical bids are scheduled to be opened on September 23, while the initial price offers will be opened at 11 a.m. on September 25.
On the same day the tender was issued, the KSEB sourced 75 MW from Odisha's GRIDCO and 15 MW from ACB India Ltd to meet excess demand.