Local authority launches tender for battery storage at solar plant
Tender seeks design and construction of a battery storage system to boost a solar plant, highlighting growing public sector demand for flexible renewables.
Tender seeks design and construction of a battery storage system to boost a solar plant, highlighting growing public sector demand for flexible renewables.
Follow Tenderlake on LinkedIn for concise insights on public-sector tenders and emerging procurement signals.
In March 2026, Municipiul Craiova issued a contract notice for the design and construction of a battery-based electricity storage system to work alongside its photovoltaic power plant. The Electricity Storage System Project is intended to enhance the plant’s operation while supporting sustainable energy development and the integration of renewable sources into the local system.
The Craiova contract centres on an “electricity storage system in batteries” designed to complement the municipality’s photovoltaic power plant. Rather than expanding generation alone, the authority wants an installation that improves how the existing plant operates and how its output is integrated into local energy use.
The notice is concise, but it sets out a clear direction of travel. By investing in battery storage, the municipality aims to make better use of its solar resource and support wider sustainable energy development. The emphasis on integration of renewable sources suggests a focus on making solar generation easier to absorb within day-to-day operations, not just adding more capacity to the system.
The project also underlines how photovoltaic plants are evolving from stand‑alone generators into elements of more complex local energy systems. Storage sits at the centre of that shift, acting as an asset that can help smooth the flow of power from variable solar generation into municipal consumption.
The Craiova tender is structured as a combined “design and execution of works” package. Instead of procuring engineering and construction separately, the municipality plans to appoint a contractor responsible for both the technical design of the battery system and the works needed to install and integrate it.
This approach places a single supplier in charge of turning the concept into an operational storage facility, from system design through to on-site delivery. It mirrors how other public buyers are organising similar projects, often bundling design, delivery, installation and commissioning into one contract.
In October 2025, Gmina Wojnicz published a contract for the Energy Storage Systems Installation, covering the design, delivery, installation and commissioning of energy storage systems for 38 residential properties to store energy from existing photovoltaic installations. The contract is explicit that the same supplier is expected to carry the project from design through to handover.
In November 2025, Obec Bystřany followed a similar route with its Photovoltaic Power Plant Installation on the roof of a retirement home. That contract covers delivery and installation of a photovoltaic power plant with a battery storage system, and adds requirements for documentation, assembly, training and the establishment of an energy management system.
Larger buyers are taking the same line. In March 2026, Holding Slovenske Elektrarne d.o.o. issued a contract notice for Battery Systems Construction, seeking the design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance of outdoor battery storage systems for the HSE group, together with project documentation and building permits. And in December 2025, Zakład Komunikacji Miejskiej Zawiercie sp. z o.o. sought a contractor to design, supply and install photovoltaic systems with energy storage for a municipal transport company, in its Photovoltaic Systems Installation notice, which also includes documentation, permits and training.
Across these procurements, contracting authorities are asking storage suppliers not only to provide equipment but also to manage:
While the Craiova notice does not spell out this level of detail, its combined design-and-build structure places it firmly within this wider pattern of integrated storage delivery.
Craiova’s battery project forms part of a broader wave of public-sector contracts that couple photovoltaic generation with energy storage across different types of sites and consumers.
Residential and community schemes are one strand of that trend. In November 2025, Powiat Suski launched an Energy Storage Installation Project covering the design and execution of storage systems for photovoltaic installations in 100 residential houses and 3 public utility buildings, with the stated aim of enhancing renewable energy use and environmental quality. The Wojnicz project, focused on 38 homes, shows the same desire to capture and use more locally produced solar power.
Social infrastructure is another focus. The Bystřany retirement home project combines a rooftop photovoltaic plant, battery storage and an energy management system, indicating an interest in how these technologies work together in a single building. In the defence sector, UNITATEA MILITARA 02384 set out a clear storage use case at barracks 3073 in its Electric Energy Storage System contract: a modular storage installation to hold excess energy from onsite photovoltaic panels for nighttime use.
Municipal buildings and services are also turning to storage. In February 2026, Gmina Zawiercie sought a supplier for its Photovoltaic Installations Project, covering the design, delivery, installation and commissioning of two photovoltaic installations and six photovoltaic installations with energy storage systems for public utility buildings. Together with the Zawiercie transport company scheme, this shows local authorities using storage to support both administrative facilities and operational fleets.
Environmental goals are prominent in several notices. In January 2026, Miasto Katowice issued a call for Photovoltaic Installation Documentation for two photovoltaic installations with energy storage, explicitly aimed at reducing emissions and improving air quality. In March 2026, Oras Nehoiu’s Photovoltaic Park Development project set out aims to replace conventional electricity with renewable energy, enhance energy efficiency for public consumers, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lower operational electricity costs.
Utility-scale and multi-technology schemes show how storage is being combined with other low‑carbon options. In January 2026, SPÓŁDZIELNIA NYSKA ELEKTROWNIA SPOŁECZNA sought to design and construct a photovoltaic power plant with a capacity of up to 10 MW, including a battery energy storage system and green hydrogen storage, in its Photovoltaic Power Plant Construction notice. Teplárny Brno, a.s. is meanwhile progressing a dedicated Battery Energy Storage System Project, including documentation development and approval.
Airports are also emerging as important sites for combined solar and storage. In January 2026, S.N. Aeroportul International Timisoara Traian Vuia S.A. published a Photovoltaic Park Project involving the design, supply and construction of a solar energy production and storage facility, including heat pumps, to enhance renewable energy capacity at the airport. Shortly afterwards, REGIA AUTONOMA AEROPORTUL INTERNATIONAL CRAIOVA launched its own Photovoltaic Power Plant Project for a solar plant with storage capacity, high‑efficiency panels and inverters, and a SCADA monitoring system to enhance green energy production for self-consumption.
Across these notices, authorities highlight a consistent set of objectives for combining photovoltaics with storage:
The Craiova battery project, with its focus on sustainable energy development and integration of renewable sources, clearly fits within this emerging mainstream.
Alongside photovoltaic and storage projects, many authorities are investing in electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, pointing to a broader shift in how local energy and transport systems are planned.
In October 2025, Obshtina Gabrovo issued a notice for an Electric Car for Social Services, covering the acquisition of a new fully electric car and an associated charging station for social service assistance, with requirements on registration and maintenance. In March 2026, Obshtina Varna followed with an Electric Vehicle and Charging Station Procurement to purchase and maintain a new electric vehicle and install a charging station for social services.
Municipiul Bistrita is working on the enabling infrastructure. Its Electrical Connections for Charging Stations contract, published in February 2026, covers the design and execution of electrical connections for electric vehicle charging stations, including technical documentation and ongoing technical assistance.
When viewed alongside schemes like Zawiercie’s photovoltaic systems with energy storage for its municipal transport company, and the Craiova and Timisoara airport projects combining solar generation, storage and, in one case, heat pumps, a picture emerges of local systems in which renewable generation, battery storage and electric mobility are increasingly connected.
The Craiova Electricity Storage System Project underlines that battery storage is now a core part of how public bodies plan and operate photovoltaic assets. At the same time, new solar parks in places such as Nehoiu, Sibiu, Oradea and Zalău, along with projects for utilities, airports and municipal buildings, show continuing appetite for renewable generation capacity.
Together, these procurements create a growing pipeline of work for firms able to deliver both storage systems and photovoltaic installations. The way contracts are being structured – often combining design, execution, documentation, training and, in some cases, maintenance – will shape the opportunities and responsibilities suppliers take on as storage becomes an integral feature of public-sector energy infrastructure.
Follow Tenderlake on LinkedIn for concise insights on public-sector tenders and emerging procurement signals.